Getting Out!
by LinBer93
Summary: AU. What if Sookie had been smart after returning from fairy? My take on 4x01 "You Smell Like Dinner" Eric/Sookie scene, and what I think Sookie should have done. Getting the hell away... Will Eric let her leave? *DARKER ERIC* Drama/ANGST/Adventure/VIOLENCE/Hurt/SMUT/Comfort/R OMANCE/ Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: In this story Eric is showing more of his dark side and the characters are a lot more complicated. This is NOT a lovey-dovey romance and if Sookie and Eric are ever going to be together it will take a long time… It is rated M for a reason! I want to give some more warnings but that will only spoil the story! Please review! **

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"Why would you do that? Why would you buy my house?" I said while hastily trying to cover up my naked body using a pink nightgown.

"Because I always knew you were alive. And if I owned the house…Then I would own you. You are mine, Sookie Stackhouse" Eric said in a low voice.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as Eric decided to close the gap between us. "E-Eric, stop it" I stammered nervous of what he was going to do. He looked at me like I was his prey ready to be eaten. Instead he threw my bathrobe onto the bed and came even closer.

Making a quick decision, I quickly rushed over to the bed to get the bathrobe before Eric could have a chance to trap me. Unfortunately that meant I was closing the gap between us even more but he let me put the robe on. I knew I was blushing madly as I felt his eyes on me the entire time I tried to get the robe on without exposing myself even further than I already had.

With the robe securely on I looked up at him again. He reached out one of his huge hands and grabbed my chin as he stepped closer and pressed his body against mine. The security I felt when I put the bathrobe on vanished when he started down at me. "Sookie, be mine" he said with a husky voice before he leant down and kissed me.

I didn't respond with my lips but had no control over the shivers that ran through my body. I pushed him away angrily, cursing to myself. I should not give into this vampire! He knew Bill's plan all along and didn't tell me. He had treated me and my friends like cattle and only wanted me for sex, blood and my 'curse'.

I walked passed him and rushed down the stairs to get away. Where I was going I didn't know but I couldn't stay in the bedroom anymore. Even if he had done all those terrible things to me in the past I was still attracted to him and that scared me. "I want you out of my house" I said knowing he was right behind me.

"That is not going to happen" he replied and appeared right before me with a proud smirk plastered on his face "and it is my house now."

I groaned to myself and walked into the kitchen thirsty for some coffee. "Why did you buy it?" I said sighting, feeling defeated while Eric's smirk only widened with victory. "Like I said before, I knew you were alive even if no one else believed so. I bought this house because I care about you."

I snorted, almost laughed. He cared about me? Yeah right. "Eric, I know you don't care about me so you can just quit the act. I don't want to be yours and I never will be, so if that was the only reason you came here then you can leave" I said stubbornly.

His smirk faded and he stepped closer making me retreat into the kitchen counter. "Sookie you don't understand" he raised one hand and traced one finger up and down my neck gently "your blood tastes like freedom. Like sunshine in a pretty blond bottle. If I wanted to taste it again I could do so now and you could do nothing to stop me. You cannot choose to be mine or not. I make that decision for you. I thought you had learned that by now."

I searched his face wanting to know what he meant. Yes, I knew vampires threw humans at each other and could claim any one they wanted as theirs not giving a shit about the laws. But why was he asking me if he could just claim me?

As if he read my thought he continued "I don't want you to hate me, but if I have to I will take you with me. Instead I am asking you. Be mine Sookie and spare us both for some trouble. We both know you will become mine eventually anyway" his smirk was back.

If I had considered being his just for a little time it vanished again. That arrogant prick! I narrowed my eyes at him before I considered my options. I only wanted to live a normal life without any fucking vampires to tell me what to do.

"Can I think about it?" I asked innocently. I knew what I wanted to do. I was getting the hell out of here and in not "being a coward escaping my problems", but in "being sick and tired of this 'you are mine' bullshit and taking control over my own life".

Eric came closer trapping me against the counter. He towered above me staring at me as if he was trying to find something in there. I concentrated on breathing normal, staring up at him as if nothing were wrong and willing my emotions to calm down and hoping they would not betray me.

"I can give you one week" he whispered in my ear before he pulled back only to connect his lips against mine. I quickly stopped him putting my finger against his lips. "Do you promise to leave me alone the whole week?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow at me and I quickly added "I need some time… Please?" I was silently praying to God that he would say yes and removed my finger.

His answer was only to lean in closer and smash his lips against mine. It was an urgent and passionate and I responded with everything I had. Oh, he didn't know what he was going to get. His hands gripped around my hips and he pressed himself harder onto my body. I could feel how excited he was; probably thinking me not pushing him away this time was a form of me wanting to be his.

He was half way right. The heat between my legs was starting to get uncomfortable and I almost wished he would just take me already… almost! I knew it was only his stupid blood that was making me respond to him this way, tricking my mind into thinking I wanted him. But when I looked at it on the bright side it tricked him as much as me, only I was the only one not believing the lie.

Gently I pulled away fighting my own body to listen to me. Eventually I had to stop so I could breathe. Eric looked at me lust heavily in his eyes "I will see you next week" he whispered only making me tremble even more than I was. I was trying to catch my breath when he suddenly disappeared out the door.

Relief washed over me and I quickly ran to the phone forgetting everything about the coffee I was making.

"Jason?" I said into the phone when only a groan answered in the other line.

"Sook, why the fuck are you calling this early?" he said. I hadn't realized it was only one hour left before the sun came up.

"Jason, when you sold my house, did you sell it with everything inside it?" I asked not caring about his question.

"Um, yeah. Sorry Sook, I knew it was Gran's stuff but I had nowhere to put it." He said with a regretting voice.

I had planned to ask Jason for help with removing everything of importance out of the house so Eric couldn't do anything with it, but since he was now the owner I couldn't do anything. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I had nothing left after my Gran. Everything was Eric's. Fucking Eric… But at the same time I knew Eric wouldn't do anything with it. He said he bought everything because he knew I was coming back, right? He wasn't planning on destroying it now that I was back? At least I hoped not.

"It's okay Jason" I said with a shaky voice "Listen, I need to go away for a while" I said.

"Where are you going?" He asked concerned. "Don't worry yourself Jason. I will call you when I can, okay? I love you" I hung up before he managed to reply. I had avoided his question because I didn't know where I was headed. All I knew is that I wanted to get the hell out Bon Temps and away from Eric who just had given me one week to disappear.

I dressed and paced a bag with some clothes before I stopped by my Grans jewelry box. She didn't afford anything fancy and expensive but it was hers, and it had a great value to me. I took one of her medallions and placed it around my neck before I headed out to my car.

I hoped Eric would keep his promise and stay away from the house for one week. In that case I had one week to worry about what to do when he found out I wasn't there. The blood bond we shared was going to be a bigger problem. I had been away for over a year and it was a long time since I had been tricked into drinking his blood. So the bond was weak, but I knew he could still sense me.

But if it was weak enough to hide my location I was happy. I hoped so. If not I was doomed. I wonder if Eric was going to be angry for me trying to run away. Oh, who am I kidding, of course he would be angry. The question was _how_ angry he was going to be. I bit my lip nervously as I drove farther away.

My goal was to get out of Louisiana and through Mississippi before the night fell. I was determinate to not slow down before I reached Alabama. The sun was already making it appearance and I was feeling relieved that Eric hadn't noticed my stress through the bond. That only proved that he thought I was stressed about him, or he didn't noticed. Let's hope it was the last option.


	2. Chapter 2

**I received so many positive reviews on this story (THANK YOU :-D)!**

**(Just for the record... I have no idea on how long it takes to drive from one place to another like Sookie does in this chapter, so I just came up with something that seemed fitting!)**

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I had been driving for far too long now. It was Tuesday and one day since I left Louisiana, but I was already in Georgia and happy about how well everything had gone so far (…Or rather happy that no vampires had hunted me down at first nightfall…).

I had emptied all my bank accounts so I didn't need to use any of my cards, just in case. I was also planning on getting rid of my car and get a new one. The only thing holding me back was the fact that I loved my car. I had chosen it myself with Gran's blessing and I wanted to keep it as long as possible.

When passing through Alabama I had stopped at a drugstore and picked up some sleeping pills. My plan was to try and sleep through all the night so the little bond Eric and I had would be even weaker. I knew that from own experience it was harder to feel Eric (and Bill) when he was in his daytime rest so I hoped he would have the same problems feeling me if I was sleeping.

I found a motel and got a room for the night. The sun was about to set but I needed to get some food. I left my car at the motel and walked back the way I had arrived where I had spotted a diner. It was a cozy little place in eighties style.

"What can I get you?" The old waitress asked once I found a table. She was wearing a light blue blouse, a high waist red skirt and her hair was curly and all over the place. It almost looked like she had a sheep on her head.

"Um… Just a salad?" I asked knowing it was not served as dinner. But I wasn't that hungry and I was kind of over having burgers… "Sure sweetie. Drink?" The waitress looked at me with sorry eyes. She probably thought I was on a diet or something. "Just some ice tea?" I asked again.

She nodded before she turned around and walked away, leaving me alone at my table. I couldn't help feeling a little lonely where I sat, thinking about all of my friends at home. _Fuck!_ I had completely forgotten to tell Sam! I was supposed to work today. I knew he was overly protective of me, but if he called me at home and I didn't answer… Would he think that something had happened to me? Would he call Eric? Probably… He always assumed the worst, knowing how the supeworld worked. I groaned internally. I knew I should have listened to Sam at the very beginning.

I just hoped Jason would eat at Merlotte's today with his road crew like they usually did. That way, Sam would probably ask if he knew where I was and not call Eric. I had to be sure though. I needed more time to get away before Eric found out I was gone.

They waitress came back with my order. "Is there anything else I can get for you? Some bread to go with that salad?" her judging eyes traveled up and down my body. I glared at her before I plastered on my crazy smile "Yes actually, I was wondering if I could borrow a phone?" I asked sweetly.

"Of course dear, follow me" the waitress smiled back and I followed her to the back of the diner. The phone was heavy as I brick but I dialed Merlotte's number and was happy when I heard Sam's voice in the other end.

"_Yes?"_ He said quickly, his breath was a little ragged and he sounded worried. "Sam?" I said uncertain, wondering if anything had happened. _"Sookie, is that you?"_ he said again.

"Yes Sam, listen I-" I started to explain before I cut me off _"Have you any idea of how worried I have been? You have been gone a year, and now nobody had seen you, I couldn't get to you at home"_ he blabbed but then his voice get low and he whispered angry "_I even changed to sniff you out and Terry almost saw me"_

"Sam, I'm sorry, I'm fin-" I started again to explain "_Is it that fucking vampire again? I called him and.."_ I didn't catch the rest of what he said because of the bucket of ice I felt washing down my back froze me. He had called Eric.

"Sam, listen. I am fine; I am just on a little vacation AWAY from the vampires. Please, can you call him back and tell him that I was only late for work and I am okay?" I said desperately. Oh no, if Eric was on his way, if I wasn't home….

"_Cher, are you okay? Where are you? Tell me, I can come and get you. I will protect you" _Sam had calmed down and the worry in his voice was almost cute. "No Sam, I can't tell you, just… Please call back and tell him I am there? Please?" Tears were forming in my eyes. I had not been so brave and left only for Sam to blabber to Eric so he could yank me back to Louisiana two days later.

"_Sure cher. But you call me if there is anything you need and-"_ Now it was mine turn to cut him off "Yes Sam, thank you, I will keep you updated."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up and headed back to my table. Now, I wasn't hungry at all. I managed to press half of the salad down before I left some money on the table and walked back to the motel. My room was plain and simple, not particularly nice and inviting but the sheets looked clean so I popped two sleeping pills and crept under the covers just in time when the sun got down.

**Eric POV**

Waking from my daytime rest was unusually exciting. It had been three nights since I had visited Sookie, three nights since she agreed to be mine. I had turned down every fangbanger Pam had sent my way, and I hadn't even thought about drinking any True Blood. I was waiting, counting the days until Sunday when I could collect my newest pet, my new lover, new assets. My light.

I couldn't help but feel excited, wanting to go over to her place and rub myself all over her already. I was already planning our new life. She would definitely not be working for the shifter. She would be by my side all the time. I would provide for her, give her anything she need and desire. I would make sure that her face would hurt with all the smiling and laughing she was going to do (except when moaning and screaming my name while underneath me of course).

I strolled into Fangtasia, thinking about all the things I was planning on do to her once in had her. My fangs where itching to pop down and bite someone, something. Sookie.

Pam was already by the bar doing some preparations before the doors opened for the night. "For fuck sake Eric, quit being so fucking happy!" She stood in her work clothes with her trademark, hand on hip glaring at me. She actually looked annoyed by my "happiness" as she called it; it made my smirk go into a full toothy smile.

I flashed my fangs at her before I headed back to my office. I heard her mutter something about "overjoyed, fairy-something-fucking Viking" and some other curses witch made me chuckle. I closed the door behind me into my office and saw the red blinking light and the phones answering machine.

Pressing the button I sat down in my chair and started up my computer while the massages played. Most of them were unimportant but I froze when the shifters voice entered my office.

"_Northman, what the fuck have you done to her this time? She is due to work this evening and you can't just take her away whenever you want you bloodsucking dead- No, Arlene, you take care of it!" _I rolled my eyes hearing the redhead yell in the background. "_She is a human being and I know she does not want to be with any of you dead people so let her go this instance, or I have trouble coming your way!"_

I sat frozen in place. The shifter said she was gone. He had probably checked her house already. Anger, was the one thing bubbling inside of me. What the fuck had she done this time? Abruptly I stood up grabbing my cellphone and dialed her number.

"About fucking time" Pam said coming into my office referring to my sudden anger. "I almost considered telling Compton I would help stake you to get you out of that fucking good mood of yours" she said with a bored tone, studying her nails. I only glared at her while waiting to Sookie to pick up. My anger rose to new levels when it had got past three beeps and she hadn't picked up yet, when the answering machine announced another new message.

"_Uuhm.." _I stared at the machine. It was the shifter again. "_She was only late. She is here now, safe and sound…" _It sounded like he was going to say something more, but the message stopped and the machine started to delete all the messengers. I ended my call, still staring at the machine.

My anger was still making my blood boil under my skin but I was calming down. She was at work. I took an unnecessary breath before I sat down in my chair and starched my long legs in front of me placing them at my desk. I wondered if I should go and check on her, but I had promised her one week. Only a few more days and I could chain her to my side and never let her go again.

My good mode returned slowly, taking over for the anger. The opposite happened for my poor childe though, when I smirked at her. "Anything I can help you with Pam?" I leered at her.

She only glared back before she turned around and slammed the door behind her out of the office, making me chuckle.

**Sookie POV**

I woke up a little bit disoriented before I remembered where I was. Georgia, the motel, the eighties diner. I sighted, got out of bed and took a quick shower. It was early in the morning and I had no time to lose. I hurried over to the diner and was happy to see the same waitress as last night. Not wanting to get the "pity" stare again, I ordered a large breakfast that would last the whole day. More stops meant less time to get further away. I couldn't have that.

Back in my car, I drove off again. I had decided that I wanted to see Florida and headed that way. I didn't get to see much though, except for all the places I wanted to stop but couldn't. I knew I passed Disney World at some point. Remembering all the times I and Jason had nagged our parents to go, but we never got the chance.

The hours passed by and I was beginning to feel tired. I had only stopped one time for gas and that was it. I had still a few hours to go before I needed to sleep, and I had decided to drive all the way down to Key West. From there, I would find an airport, leave my car and take a plane to… somewhere else.

I was driving over the long bridged leading to my destination. It was so beautiful, so sunny and warm. In Key West I found a restaurant, deciding to eat some dinner before I headed off to locate a new motel. It was a little nicer restaurant and I felt kind of embarrassed that I didn't have any nicer clothes to wear, but my jeans and t-shirt. I ate alone, but got a few stares by a table full of men. I noticed one of them especially and smiled back before I returned to my food.

"Miss, from the gentlemen over there" My waitress startled me by putting down a glass of red wine in front of me. I had only ordered water to go with my steak and the red wine looked very tempting. But I couldn't drink; I needed my head as clear as possible, even if it was only one glass.

"Tell them thank you" I smiled at her. "Can I get the bill please?" I added before she could walk away. She only nodded before she disappeared. I looked over to the boys again and smiled a "thanks". I paid the bill with extra tip before I left my food half eaten and the glass of red wine untouched.

I decided to take a walk on the beach. I had never seen such a beautiful place before in my life, only on post cards and through someone's minds. I walked for a little while before I found a spot in the sand away from all the people where I could enjoy the sunset by myself. The ocean looked very inviting and I cursed myself again for not bringing any swimsuit. While sitting there I thought about home.

I clutched Gran's amulet I wore around my neck in my hand, tears running down my face. This was the kind of place I should have been with my husband, my human husband and me on our honeymoon, not me alone running away from a crazy overly possessive vampire!

I missed Gran. I missed Jason and Sam already, and all the others. I could never return. I could never let them know where I was. I could never see them again. If I did, Eric could glamour them in to telling him where I was. I was alone in the world. I wish I could have taken anyone with me, Tara for example. But the danger I had put her in… No, it was better this way.

I stared at the falling sun, dread filling me the lower it went. It was almost touching the ocean now, and I knew I had to find a place to stay for the night. But the colors were so beautiful. The whole sky was in different pink and purple colors while the blue water turned orange. I closed my eyes picturing Gran sitting beside me to share this moment with me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a deep but soft voice beside me pulled me out of my thoughts. The man I from the restaurant sat beside me and stared at the sun. He was really nice looking. Tan skin, soft brown curls who matched his perfect brown eyes. At the restaurant he had worn a black shirt and jeans but now he had changed into a black shorts and a red wifebeater which showed of his toned body.

"Yes" I said shifting my gaze back to the sun. It looked like it was drowning. I was thankful when the man didn't say anything else as we sat in silence and watched the sun go down. When the last rays of disappeared I sighted. I needed to find a place to sleep and fast, not taking any large chances. I was grateful for the company though, the man presence gave me a feeling of comfort, and the loneliness had disappeared. But now I needed to get back to reality.

I stood up from the sand and started to walk away.

"Hey. Where are you going?" His voice stopped me. I turned around too looked at him. He was the same height as Jason. "I'm going back" I said simply.

"Why?" He frowned. I wondered what he thought I was going to do. Stay here with him all night?

"Need to sleep" I smiled lightly before I turned around and stared to walk again. I didn't get far before he came running up beside me. "So what's your name?" he asked.

I started to feel a slight of panic. Should I tell? Was it better if I changed my identity? Surly it would be more difficult for Eric to find me if I wasn't Sookie anymore. I probably should find a new identity. I hadn't realized how long time I had ignored him when he started talking again. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" he winked at me. "I'm Shane" he said and held his hand out for me to shake.

I smiled "Nice to meet you Shane. And thanks' for the wine" I said. _Beautiful, why won't she tell me her name_? I quickly focused on my shields again when our contact made it harder to keep him out. That reminded me also to check on my walls around the bond to Eric. I wondered if he would notice it I took my walls down to check his end of the bond. He probably would, so I let that thought go.

"You didn't drink any, though" he smiled at me, the most charming smile I had ever seen.

"W-what?" I said a little amazed.

"The wine... You didn't drink any" He said again.

"Oh, right. I don't drink very much" I explained embarrassed. It was only one glass after all. He only smiled in return and I started to walk a little faster. He didn't take my hint and quickly followed.

"So… How long are you staying? Vacation?"

I glanced at him. He looked so curious, and God so handsome "I am only passing through. Leaving tomorrow".

His smile vanished when I told about mine departure "Oh. Well.. Are you traveling alone?"

"Yes" I smiled. He frowned again "Why? I mean… You are a beautiful smart girl, you shouldn't have to travel alone!?"

I blushed at his compliments "Thanks, I guess. I just... Kind of… wanted a change and decided to start over, find a new place to stay" I didn't know why I told him, but it felt good.

He nodded in understanding "I have always wanted to do that. But I'm kind of stuck here. Why don't you stay here?" His face lit up again. We started to get closer to where I had left my car by the restaurant.

"It is really lovely here, but... It is too close to home. And to many people" I smiled sadly. He only nodded again. We were outside the restaurant and I spotted my car immediately. Not hard to find… My face turned red again from embarrassment over my little yellow bug. I could see the skeptical look he gave it, but only blushed harder when he said "nice car".

I sighted "no, it's not" we both chuckled. We stood in awkward silence for a moment before Shane broke it again "So where are you staying?"

"Uh, I don't know yet" I mumbled. "You can stay with me if you like?" he asked.

I frowned "Shane… I'm not that kind of girl… I just met you" I said uncertain. "Oh, shit that came out all wrong. I didn't mean it like that. I have a guest house out for rent. You can stay there for as long as you like" he smiled. He was so cute smiling like that.

I decided to open my mind and peek inside of his head. Pleased with what I found (no vampires, no bad intentions, me being beautiful) I smiled and nodded. We drove to his house while agreeing that I would pay the same price that any other would do. I 'heard' that he was not pleased but he agreed eventually. It's not each day you need to argue to get higher prices.

...

"And this is the bedroom" Shane turned on the lights in the last room. I had been catching flies on the whole trip around his guest house. It was gorgeous! "Wow, it's just.. wow" I didn't know what to say. Now I felt even more embarrassed over my car. He probably didn't think I would have money to pay for staying here one night after riding in my car, that's why he argued.

He chuckled. I led the way back into the living room after I had stared enough on the nice bedroom. "Can I pay you now, right away? Oh, and I only have cash" I said hoping he wouldn't mind. "No, that's okay" He said smiling.

I beamed at him, really thinking that things were starting to get a little better. He was such a nice gay. Digging through my purse I tried to find the right amount without looking weird. When I had emptied my back accounts I had been so stressed I had just put all the money I had in my purse, making a complete chaos. Then, I had hidden the most of it in my car, but there was still a heavy amount in the purse, just in case I needed it and wasn't around my car.

"You don't have to pay for one night" Shane's deep voice was right behind me and I felt his hand on my shoulder. My heart jumped up in my throat, as I jumped away from him, losing my purse in the floor. All the money scattered around, out of my purse. I stared at Shane for a moment, waiting for him to jump me or something. But he was focused on all the money lying all around.

"What the fuck?" He said shocked "Are you… Some kind of thief?" He stared at me with wide eyes like I was holding a gun at him or something.

"Shane, no, I…" I stumbled through my words, trying to find a good explanation. "I… It is all mine"

"Yeah, like any normal person would walk around with so much money in their purse. I'm calling the cops" He said frightened. Now, it was my turn to panic "No, please don't I can explain, I promise" I said, almost crying again. It was no way Eric could miss the turmoil going on inside of me right now.

Shane looked at me suspicious before he nodded. "Can… Do you have anything to drink while I explain?" I said, biting my lower lip nervous. I had two options. Tell the whole truth or come up with something new that probably would suck.

Shane nodded again and grabbed two glasses and one bottle of red wine. I thanked him when he handed me a glass and downed two full glasses to calm my nerves before I started to explain.

**Eric POV**

Fangtasia had been open for about an hour. It was as boring as usual, sitting on my throne entertaining the vermin like Pam used to call the fangbangers who came to the bar. The only thing keeping me in place was the thoughts of what I was planning to do with the lovely Miss Stackhouse when she would be mine.

Only thinking about her soft lips and sweet scent made my pants tight. I had tried to poke around in our bond but with her blocking it from me, and how weak it was I couldn't get anything from it. Only the little awareness that she was _there_, alive.

Then, the bond flared with embarrassment, and then panic. I stiffened, thinking something must be happening at the shifters bar. I was only seconds from leaving my throne and flying out the door when I remembered my promise again. Cursing I snapped up my phone and called Bobby my day man. He answered on the first ring. Smart guy.

"_Mr. Northman, what can I do for you this late hour?" _I knew on the tone in his voice he was not pleased with me calling this late.

"Bobby. I need you to go to Merlotte's and keep an eye on Sookie Stackhouse for me." I said using my Sheriff voice, just to scare him a little bit.

"_Y-yes sir. How long shall I spy on her for you?" _He got the nerve. Spy on her for me? It wasn't spying… He clearly needed a new course in discipline. I would get to that later.

"You shall watch over her until Sunday night. I want reports on everything she does, understand?" I barked out, more frustrated. The bond was still flaring with panic. Not very much flaring, I couldn't feel if she was in danger or not, but I knew something was happening.

"_Yes, Mr. Northman. I will leave for Merlotte's right away."_

I hung up before he could say anything else. If something was happening I would break our deal and claim her right away. She needed to be protected. "You look a little tense. Anything I can do… to help you loosen up?" A fangbanger had approached me without me noticing. I stared at her. She was all dressed in black, heavy make-up and skinny. Way to skinny.

"Get out of my sight before I suck you dry" I snarled at her, flashing my fangs. That was a mistake, only turning her on even more "Ooh, are you sure. I can do some sucking as well if you like?" she winked at me, trying to be seducing.

Luckily for her, Pam arrived by her side and escorted her out of the building. I noticed the other vampires in my bar glancing respectfully at me before they continued with what they were doing. Once again I tried to focus on the bond between me and Sookie. I knew the first thing we would do is to strengthen our bond - It had already calmed down almost into nothing again. I could still feel a little panic but it was vanishing fast. My phone started to ring again.

"Bobby" I said.

"_Mr. Northman, she is not here" _Bobby's voice echoed through the phone.

"What?" I stiffened again, the same anger I felt only one hour ago listening to the shifter bubbled under my skin again.

"Where is she?"

"_She is not at the bar. I asked the boss and he said she was out doing errands, but the other waitress said she hadn't seen her all day. Then I asked her brother and he said the same thing as that waitress" _He explained. My grip around the phone tightened. I used my vampire speed into my office and paced back and forth.

"Bobby, put the shifter on the phone!" I snarled. I heard the chatting and red haired waitress talk in the background while my day man followed my orders.

"_Yes?"_ The shifter's voice sounded through the phone.

"Where is she, _Shifter_?" I asked. I hadn't forgotten the rude way he had talked over the messages. He was going to pay for that, and learn some respect and discipline, maybe together with Bobby.

"_I sent her out on some errands" _He answered quickly. I could smell his lie all over to my office.

"I ask one more time. Where is she?" I said calmly. Quiet before the storm…

"_Leave her alone, Fanger! I will tell her you called"_ he said irritated. That dog is trying my patience. I was almost losing it when a strange feeling replaced the little panic that was left in the bond. Lust.

"I am coming over" I snapped before I crushed the phone in my hand and flew out of my office towards the shifters bar.

Something was not right.

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**So… What do you think?  
Eric can obviously feel Sookie through the bond, but it is just when she is feeling a strong emotion or don't remember to block her end. It is not strong enough for him to notice the distance between them. Sam has some trouble coming his way!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sookie POV**

I had told him everything. Okay, maybe not everything, but as close to everything as I dared. I had explained that I was running away from a man that was stalking me. I hadn't mentioned he was a Vampire Sheriff or anything about my own curse. Shane had been quiet all the time, listening carefully to my story.

I had started crying when I explained how dangerous he was, how I couldn't tell anyone about my plans and how he had bought my house to own me. Shane wasn't angry anymore and let me cry on his shoulder while he was talking shooting words to calm me down.

"I can help you" he said softly into my ear. I raised my head up to look in his eyes.

"How? He will come after you if you do. I need to leave, get as far away as possible and hope he will never find me!" I said drying my tears.

"I work at the military airport, I can help you get away" he said.

"You can?" I asked hopeful.

"Yes. I have a friend who can make you a new ID and everything. I can get it fixed by the morning and we could leave together"

"That would have been wonderful" I said feeling tears starting to form in my eyes again "but you can't come with me. It is too dangerous"

"I want to help you. I want to come with you and make sure you are okay" he said again with his soft voice.

I shook my head "No, I can't let you. I don't think it is smart if you even know where I will go" If Eric found him he could glamour him into telling him everything. "I think it is best if I just find my own way" I said sad.

The alcohol was making me sleepy and I knew I was betraying myself and my own security by staying up at night when Eric could feel me. Shane looked like he was thinking about something while I stood up from the couch we were sitting at. My head was spinning and I almost fell down when Shane stood and grabbed my arm to help me.

"I think I should get to bed. I need to get up early in the morning" I said and looked at him. He nodded and helped me to the bedroom.

I sat down at the bed and he sat down beside me grabbing my one hand. I looked up in his brown eyes and saw only comfort. "Thank you" I said softly. "For letting me stay here. For believing me and for not calling the cops"

He smiled "Your welcome"

We sat in silence for a moment only looking at each other before I leaned in and kissed him. I didn't know why I did it, only thinking about the comfort he gave me. He made me feel like I was not alone in the world and I wanted him to make me forget all the bad things in my life. Like Eric.

He didn't pull away and soon he was kissing me back. I sneaked my hand around his neck to pull him closer to me, and soon his tongue was fighting against mine. His hands sneaked around my waist, feeling up and down before he pushed me back down on the bed and laid himself on top of me never breaking the kiss.

It was a long time since I had felt this way. Reminding me of Bill and what he did, the way he betrayed me, took my virginity. I wished I hadn't done it with him. I wished my first time would have been with someone I loved and loved me back. I wished it could have been with someone like Shane, a good man.

I stilled underneath him when I realized what I was doing. This was not me. I would not use him like this. I would not have sex with someone I barely knew. He pulled back and looked into my eyes.

He smiled softly before he rolled off me and lifted the covers. "Come here" he said and reached for me. I hesitated for a moment before I saw in his eyes that he understood me. I took his offered hand and he pulled me close as we lay together under the covers.

He snuck an arm around my waist and I snuggled closer against him, taking comfort in his presence. I didn't say anything and neither did he. I felt we didn't need to. We just lay together and it didn't take long before I fell asleep in his arms.

**Eric POV**

The Shifters' bar was - not to my surprise - low on customers. I noticed Sookie's smell, but it was old and she hadn't been in here recently. The redhead waitress and Bobby looked scared when I walked past them, as I made my way into the Shifter's Office.

He looked worried and rightfully so. I snarled and let my fangs drop before I gripper around his neck "Where is she, Shifter? May I advise you not to lie to me you are already in deep trouble."

"She is not here. I have sent her on some errands. She will be back" he said angrily. My grip around his neck tightened when I felt my patience die. "You know I could just glamour you into telling me everything you know, but where would the fun be? I think you need to learn how to respect you elders and authority _dog!"_

He gulped "She called me and said she had gone on a vacation alright? She will be back." He rasped under my tight grip. She had left. She had made me promise not to see her for one weak, to get away. She had nothing to come back to, beside the rednecks in this town. I knew she would not come back. I was furious. I wanted to kill someone.

I picked up my phone and called my child. "Pamela. Pick up the Shifter, you are allowed to play with him for one hour. Do not kill him." I hung up before she could say anything. The Shifter was obviously shaken when I released him.

"If she is harmed in any way, I will let Pam play with you until I will kill you myself. Slowly." I threatened before storming out of his office. With vampire speed I appeared beside Bobby.

"Keep her house under constant surveying. If something happens you call me" I ordered before I flew out of the bar.

I flew to the farmhouse and noticed again her old smell. She must have left right after luring me into believing she would be mine. The beast inside of me fought to come out. I wanted to destroy anything in my way, burn the house down.

But I needed to stay calm. She would be back I would make sure of it. Amused I thought about how brave she was. Trying to leave me... Like she thought she could hide from me. She had just given me a good old chase, something I hadn't done in a few decades. This could be fun.

I flew back to Fangtasia with a grin on my face. I summoned Rasoul, my best tracker and ordered him to follow her scent and see if he could locate her. I checked if she had recently used her credit cards and was pleased to realize she had emptied her accounts. My little pet was not a dumb pet, and she made my chase a little more fun not making it too easy for me.

**Sookie POV**

I woke up to the smell of coffee. I had slept like a baby in Shane's arms and was more than a little sad as I thought about how I had to leave him and the fact that I probably would never see him again.

"Morning. The sun has just risen I thought I should wake you up" Shane sad sitting down at one side of the bed with two mugs of coffee in his hand.

I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before I accepted one of the mugs. "Thank you" I said and smiled at him.

He seemed a little nervous and I could tell he wanted to say something. I stayed out of his head out of respect but the longer he hesitated, the more tempted I got. Finally he decided to tell me.

"After you fell asleep I went out to call that friend of mine. I asked him to make you a new id" he looked at me uncertain before he continued "I feel like it is something you don't tell me. But I want to help you and I asked him by some plain tickets for you as well. I met with him one hour ago and he gave me this" he said and pulled an envelope out of his shirt pocket.

"It contains your new identity and the tickets. I haven't looked at them so I don't know your new name or where you are going, like you wanted"

Tears welled up in my eyes. How could I meet this wonderful man in a so inconvenient time in my life? A little voice in the back of my head warned me about how Eric could find his friend and find out about me, but I ignored it. It was a risk I was willing to take.

I pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you so much. I don't understand how you can be so nice. I don't know how I ever can repay you!"

"I wrote my number at the back on the envelope. Call me sometime?" He said softly placing the envelope in my hand, I only smiled and nodded, speechless.

"I will give you some time to freshen up and then follow you to the airport, if you would allow me?" his nervousness was back.

Swallowing down the limp in my throat I nodded again "yes".

He stood from the bed and walked out of the bedroom. With shaky hands I opened the envelope and looked at my new identity. Hannah Davis. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I was and always would be Sookie Stackhouse. Wrapping my head around my new name would be difficult.

I looked at the plane tickets and found out I was going to travel a long way. England. I had never imagined me leaving America. The thought both scared me and excited me at the same time. It could never be home. But then again, my so called "home" didn't feel like home anymore either.

I stood from the bed, freshened myself in the bathroom and entered the living room where Shane had made me breakfast. I thanked him again as we ate together in silence.

I drove my car to the airport with Shane as a guide. It was the last time I would be driving it and it made my whole insides hurt. The only thing I would have left to remind me of Gran would be the amulet.

Shane helped me tuck the rest of my money inside of the bag he had insisted I should borrow. "When you check in, go to the man on the left. He will know you are you and let you pass with all the money" he assured me.

I nodded and gave him a tight hug before I glanced at my yellow car one last time and walked away.

**Eric POV**

"Yes?" I barked into my phone. Pam had enjoyed her one hour with the shifter a little too much and I was not irritated with her. She hadn't killed him, but as close as.

"_Sheriff, she has been staying in a motel in Georgia. Her scent tells me she left yesterday. I also traced it back to where she had gotten her human food at one diner but no one knows where she was going. I will go to ground now and continue to follow her scent tomorrow."_

"That is acceptable" I told Rasoul before I hung up. I knew her scent would be harder to track thus longer you wait but I trusted Rasoul not to fail me.

I sat in my office with my child standing before me. "Master, with all due respect, you told me only not to kill him."

I stared blankly at her knowing she was right, but it still irritated me. She should know better. But I wouldn't punish her. I dismissed her and continued my search for my little telapathfairypet. All my anger was now turned into excitement. Our little game of mouse and cat was making my fangs itch and pants tight. The thought of what I should do when I caught her. She needed to be punished for running away from me, that's for sure.

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**Just keep reviewing ;D!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been over a weak since the last update, yes, I know and I'm sorry. BUT, when I got all the reviews I was so happy I couldn't stop writing! Meaning, I am waay ahead with the chapters. I have sent them to my beta (LADY DOUGHNUTS) and will post them right away when I get them back. **

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**Sookie POV**

Going through the airport was nerve-racking with all the money in my bag. Everything went well though, except when I forgot my "name" and said I was Sookie to one of the controllers instead of Hannah. She had looked at me suspicious but eventually I was safe on the plane.

Saying goodbye to Shane was hard. It was almost like I had known him my entire life, not only a few hours. On the long flight to London, however, I had an interesting time reflecting back on my life.

How stupid I had been not listening to Sam in the first place when Bill walked into my life. How stupid I had been not realizing how his blood effected my emotions and creating the false love. How stupid I had been to promise to work for Eric whenever he wanted. How stupid I had been to try and save Bill when he was kidnapped and almost died in the process myself, through his doings. Not to mention all the other times I had been shot/stabbed/poisoned, almost gotten raped, and watched people die around me.

I didn't even want to start and think about Eric. Bill had made sure that I hated Eric. As I thought about it, Eric wasn't that bad. Seeing him when Godric died was hard.. That proved alone that he was capable of feelings. If he only hadn't tricked me into drinking his blood, threatened me and those I cared about, putting me in danger all the time or being his cocky self. Not to mention he knew about Bill and the Queen's plans without telling me! Not that I would believe him anyway, but still.

And now with his "you will be mine" shit. These last few days had been though. Running away was more exhausting that I thought. But I realized I had only pitied myself and cursing the vampires for ruining my life. And yes, they had, but I needed to look at it on the bright side before I got mad.

I was going to start a new life. I was going to make a home for myself. A new start. The only thing I had left in Bon Temps was my friends, and I knew I would miss them. But beside them I had only memories left. And now the bad memories were crushing down the good memories.

I knew my parents and Gran were in heaven watching down on me. I knew they would be proud of me for leaving. Gran had always encouraged me to do something with my life and I couldn't help feeling a little excited. I could do whatever I wanted to. Find a place of my own. Start a new job. I wanted to get a dog. A big one. I still wanted to live outside of the city.

The plane landed many hours later. I didn't have any more luggage than my handbag with money so I found my way outside and got in a cab. It was almost dark outside and I asked for the nearest hotel. I was tired after the long flight and just wanted to sleep in a bed. I didn't see much of the city on my way to the hotel, but I would be sure to go sightseeing tomorrow.

"This is it, Miss Davis" The cabdriver said through the little window that separated us. I thanked him and gave him some extra tip before I got myself a room and fell asleep before my head touched the pillow.

**Eric POV**

"Yes, Master?" My child said appearing beside me, I was sitting at my throne and watching the vermin with a bored expression. I was still angry with Pam for taking too much fun out of her little hour with the Shifter. But what was done was done, I had offered him some blood to heal up quicker but he had declined. Maybe he had now learned to respect his Sheriff.

"You are to be in charge for a few days. I am going to go locate my little pet's hiding place" I said smirking at the thought.

"Will you retrieve her? Can I get to punish her for running when she returns?" Pam's face was stone like put I could feel her excitement through our bond.

"Certainly not. You are not touching her Pam. She is mine!" I growled showing the tip of my fangs.

"Fine" she pouted. "Anything else you require, Master?"

"No, that's all. I leave after I get the last report from Rasoul" I dismissed her.

It took another hour before Rasoul called and I was losing my patience. "Yes?" I said standing up from my throne and sapped into my office for privacy.

"_I have bad news and good news. I tracked her scent to Kay West. She has been staying at a house and a human man has her smell all over her. And her car, by the way" _

I growled into the phone. What had my little pet been up to? Remembering the lust through our bond yesterday I was sure this _man_ had a very dark future if he was the cause of MY lover feeling that way.

"_I haven't approached the man yet. Her scent tells me she left in the morning. It led me to the airport, and then it was gone. She could have flown anywhere in the world." _

So my pet was even smarter than I gave her credit for, leaving by plane would definitely make my chase more difficult. But I loved a challenge. "Thank you, Rasoul. Keep an eye on that blood bag that has been near my pet. I will join you in a few hours" I said before I hung up.

I took my leave, deciding to fly to use some spare time. I would use a couple of hours but I wanted to interrogate the blood bag myself. I would make it just in time before the sun rose if I flew with my full speed.

When arriving I smelled her at once. I stood outside the house when her smell was strongest when Rasoul appeared by my side. "He is currently inside. I have been watching him the while time" he said.

I only nodded. "We will find a resting place and question him tomorrow" I said after a while when I started to feel the pull of the sun.

**Sookie POV**

I woke up to the sound of cars and the city buzzing noise. I hadn't planned on doing anything besides looking around. I was eager to start my new life, but first I had to eat something. In the hotel restaurant I managed to get a bellboy to explain how to get around, what I should see and where I could find a bank.

I couldn't go around with as much money as I did in my bag. I had to get in into the new accounts that Shane's friend had fixed for me. I ate my breakfast and headed outside with my bag in hand. I wanted to find the bank as soon as possible so I could stop worrying about it being stolen or something. It was after all, everything that I had.

"Hello. What can I help you with today?" A nice looking lady behind a large desk smiled staring at me.

"Um.. Hi" I smiled back "I have some money I would like to put into my account" I said uncertain. Maybe it wasn't so smart to bring everything in at once.

"Of course, what's your name?" she had already started typing on her computer.

"Sook- eh… Hannah Davis" I cursed myself again for almost saying wrong again. I handed her my new ID and she glanced at it a few times while she continued her typing.

"So, Miss Davis" she said and looked up. "How much money are we talking about?"

Nervous, I just placed the bag on her desk. I didn't know the exact number, and I didn't want to tell her either. "Everything in this bag" I just said, still keeping my smile plastered on my face.

"Certainly" she said but her smile faded a little. I hesitated "It.. it is a lot. My grandfather passed away and… left me everything in cash" I tried to come up with a good explanation. I opened my mind to read her and found out she was not believing me, not that I was surprised.

Cursing myself for being this stupid I only smiled and acted like nothing was wrong. "Just wait a minute" she smiled and stood up. _She must have stolen everything. I should warn Edward._

She looked at me over her shoulder as she walked away frightened. I groaned internally, while wondering who this Edward was. Head of security maybe? A few moments later she returned with a big man following her.

"Miss Davis, I'm John Quinn. If you would follow me please?" he said in a gruff voice when he reached me. He was tall, probably some kind of training addict and was bald.

"Please, call me Hannah" I said, still with my nervous smile. From his thoughts I knew he was some kind of a were. He shook my hand before he turned around and I followed him to a small room. It looked like one of those interrogation rooms I had seen on TV. I gulped, wishing I had just ran away when I had the chance.

"Miss Hannah, I am wondering why a pretty girl like you would have so much money in cash in hand?" He said gesturing me to sit down in the only chair in the room. I accepted and tried to read him, but his thoughts were ass clouded and I couldn't get anything that made sense.

"Like I said," I steadied my voice to act normal "my grandfather passed away. Leaving me with everything he had of money in cash. I just want to put it all into my back accounts" I said simply.

"I find that hard to believe, Miss Davis" Oh, so we were back to Davis again. I decided to just cut the crap and tell him a lie little closer to the truth, knowing he would not believe me and eventually call the cops. I knew he was a were and probably hated vampires so I hoped he would help me out.

"Look. Okay, you are right. I am running from a vampire and emptied his accounts and now I want to set them in into mine. I would appreciate if you could help me out here; I really just want to disappear. I am not I thief... Or well, I guess I am" I laughed nervously. "But I know you can understand why I did it."

He was silent for a long time studying me. "That… was not what I had expected to hear. Miss Hannah, if I may ask. Were you his?

"He believed I was, but I can assure you, I have no intention of being his." I stared back at his challenging stare. I saw his nostrils flare when he smelled the air, probably my scent. I knew he could smell I was not human.

He nodded. "You do realize he will probably have your accounts surveyed and be sucking on your neck before you can blink right?"

"I have everything under control. Now, would you help me or are you going to call the cops on me? I have things to do today" Okay, so I was staring to being rude, but I was not going to sit and answer all of his questions and be offended by him.

He smirked at me then "I would love to help you Hannah. Such a young beautiful girl like you being sucked dry by a dead guy would be a shame."

I forced myself not to roll my eyes, but smiled my sweetest smile instead. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate this Mister Quinn."

He led me outside again and back to the lady I first had talked to. "I will take it from here, Laura."

Half an hour later I was walking down the street with all of my money safe my accounts and a phone number in my pocket. "You call me if there is anything you need. Anything at. All." Quinn had said before I left. I assured him I would, before I thanked him again and left.

The rest of the day I used at sightseeing. I decided to take on one the tour busses to look around. It was really great and everything was so impressive. I decided to eat my dinner back at the hotel, after bought myself some new clothes and a laptop.

I sighted heavily when I returned to my room. My head was spinning from everything that had happened today. Truth was, I was already was tired of all the noise and people. I definitely needed a place somewhere outside of the "big bubble".

I took a long hot shower and fell down onto my hotel bed. I logged on to my new laptop and started to look for a place. I wasn't entirely sure if I should by a place or rent. Maybe it was best to rent in the beginning in case I had to relocate again.

That made me thinking about Eric. I had felt the bond flaring with anger several times. He probably knew I was gone by now. I just hoped he would leave my family alone; Jason, Sam, Tara and Lafayette. I just made sure the little bond that we had was blocked tight so he couldn't feel me. With the distance between us I was sure it was almost close to gone.

I kept on searing for a place to rent outside of the big cities. I found a picture of a large house that was being rented out for a low price. It was called "Sunnyside" and I immediately fell for it. I wrote the address down on a paper and decided to see it tomorrow. Content I lay under the covers and went to sleep, a little happier than before. I knew it had only been a few days, but I could already see the little light in the tunnel.

**Eric****POV**

I had woken up two hours before sundown. Normally I was a patient vampire. Now, I was eager to speak with the blood bag who had dared to be near my pet. If he had touched her intimately I was going to suck him dry for every little drop of blood in his mortal body.

When the sun finally set I was back in front of the house within seconds. I had ordered Rasoul to search in the airport for more clues as to where my little pet could have gone.

Strolling up to the front door I wondered if I should pretend to be nice or just glamour him. It didn't take long for the blood bag to open the door after I knocked.

"Hi. I am looking for Sookie Stackhouse. I believe she was staying here?" I said with my least intimidating voice and a forced on friendly smile.

It was either my probably _'not so friendly smile as I_ _hoped'_ or something else but he looked skeptical on me. "I don't know who Sookie is. I'm sorry" the beach boy said and tried to close the door in my face.

Growling I put my foot between the door and the doorframe. I cut the crap and caught his eyes with my glamour and made him invite me in. Well inside I took a deep breath smelling my pet. Her scent was a day old. I followed it into where it was strongest, the bedroom.

The blood bag's scent was lingering with hers but there was no sex in the air. He was lucky. No dying today apparently… I turned around and headed back to the living room where he was seated, still under my glamour. I released him and snapped out my fangs.

"Now, listen here blood bag. You tell me what I want and I will leave you in one peace. If you don't I can assure you, you will not like the outcome" I said casually while strolling around touching everything my pets scent lingered on.

"You are that psychopath, aren't you?" He stood from the couch fright filling the air. I only stopped what I was doing and glanced at him. "You're a fucking vampire!" he stammered.

"Good, you noticed. So she told you I was a psychopath?" I said amused before I turned my attention elsewhere and muttered "so getting punished".

"Look man. I don't know where she went, okay? She didn't even want to tell me her own name. I only offered her a place to stay, and drove her to the airport this morning."

Fear. I love that smell. He was brave though I'll give him that. And my little minx was really starting to impress me if he told the truth. Quickly using my vampire speed I appeared before the blood bag and placed one of my large hands around his throat. "Listen _human_. I don't like playing games … " well that was not completely true "… and I suggest you start to tell me the truth or I will tear one limb of your body every time your answer with a lie!" I hissed in his face, fangs full down on display.

He swallowed beneath my hand "I am telling you the truth I promise. I didn't know her name was Sookie and I only drove her to the airport. I don't know anything else!" Tears were gathering in his eyes and his face started to get a nice color of red, due to my tight grip around his neck.

I narrowed my eyes but loosened my grip so he could breathe a little lighter. He sounded sincere but my gut told me he was hiding something. Catching his stare again I pulled into his brain.

"Tell me where Sookie is." I demanded. His eyes were glazed over, and then he started to speak up. "I don't know where she is" he said with a calm voice.

"Tell me when she told you" I growled again, not believing my little pet could be _that_ good.

"She was running from a stalker and wanted to get as far away as fast as possible. The stalker had bought her house to own her. She was afraid and sad. He was dangerous and she told me she couldn't tell me anything else because of my own security. " he mumbled.

Growling, I let go of my glamour and turned around to pace. He was telling the truth and that annoyed me. I had purposely not fed thinking I was going to drain him. But my lover had been clever and I couldn't do him any harm. The sifter had suffered enough for both of them.

I concentrated on my bond and sent a burst of energy through it, wondering if she would feel it. It was almost gone now, and I cursed myself for not forcing her to drink from me the night she promised to be mine.

I pulled up my phone and called Pam.

"_Yes Master?"_ Her tone was flat like normal and I could hear the noise from Fantasia's music and people in the background.

"Go through the right channels and give everyone orders of looking for Miss Stackhouse" I ordered before I hung up on her. I had a few trusted friends around the world I knew was loyal to me. If they saw her they would call me.

Then I dialed Rasoul _"Sheriff, anything new?" _he sounded through the phone.

"Nothing useful. You will stay here a few more days. Go through the airport and question everyone. I want to know where she left" he ordered before I hung up on him too.

Turning around to the blood bag I smiled when I saw how scared he was. I vamped my way right behind him and sunk my fangs into his neck before he even saw me move. His screams were music to my ears but when his heartbeat slowed down I released him.

"You will remember nothing of this evening" I told him staring deep down in his eyes before I left not bothering to heal his bite marks. That served him right for sleeping and being near my future bonded.

**I know there are some of you who are concerned about how evil Eric is. He will continue in this pattern and it is going to be a little angsty in later chapters, but remember; he still has his deep side…**

**As I said, I am way ahead with the chapters and that is because the reviews fuel my motivation. So keep giving me the positive (and negative) feedback and I will keep writing! :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all so very much for all the reviews, I am amazed! (Keep them coming :-D)**  
** Enjoy the chapter! Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts!**

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**Sookie POV**

I woke up as tired as ever. In the middle of the night I had been woken up by a burst of energy that had come through the bond. I had started to think about if it was maybe Eric telling me not to get too comfortable, or that he knew where I was or something. With that in mind I had spent most of the night tossing and turning in the hotel bed, not able to sleep again.

Luckily for me, the city was awake early and after a shower I pulled on the new clothes I had bought yesterday and went down to eat breakfast.

Steeping out of the hotel, my earlier excitement died down a little. I had no idea on how to get to the "Sunnyside" and taking the underground was too scary to even think about. I ended up taking a cab even though it would probably cost me a fortune with how far I needed to travel.

The cabdriver was an old charming man, Joe. He pointed out different places, told me about English history and didn't ask questions about me. As we got closer, I noticed it wasn't too far away from the big cities. It was almost like Bon Temps/Shreveport. Joe told me it was a little food store, a cinema, library and a mini mall not too far away.

We drove up the driveway to the house. It was bigger than it looked like on the pictures I had been shown, but it looked just as beautiful. I stepped out of the cab after I had made sure Joe would wait on me. I was met by a nice looking man at the door.

"Hello. I am Hannah Davis." I said reaching out a hand to shake his.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss. You are the first to show any interest in this place since the last tenants moved out. I am Mister Robin Smith but you can just call me Rob." Rob said not letting go of my hand.

"Nice to meet you Rob" I nodded and pulled my hand back out of his grip. He only stood there staring at me for a minute before he offered to go inside to show me around.

"It is a four-bedroom house newly renovated as you can see." He started telling me about the house as we walked through each room. It was a little larger than Gran's farmhouse and it was built of gray stone. The inside was gorgeous. Every room was in a different color, some were carpeting and others not. The kitchen was large. The living room had a fireplace and the main bedroom had a walk in closet and a bathroom attached. Everything was in a traditional old English style and I could really see myself live here.

There was no furniture though, something that would cost a lot to get into place.

"So why, is it that no one would rent this place? It is a wonderful house and the price is low?" I asked Rob confused. I couldn't imagine anyone moving out of this place with their own free will. Maybe there was something wrong with the plumbing or something. I opened my mind to him, knowing too well that if it was something bad about the house he would try brush it off like it was nothing.

What he thought about was not what I had expected though; people moving away from town because of a tiger roaming around in the woods. "God question Miss Davis. I believe it has a connection with that it is too far away from any of the big cities and the nearest town isn't much to brag about. Or maybe because there are rumor about a tiger that live in these forest" he said with a laugh. "People have been calling the police claiming they have seen a tiger, _a tiger, can you believe that? _There have been many searches of course, but there have never been found anything that can prove its existence. Only one or two people occasionally have claimed to see it" he chuckled. I found from his brain that he had never seen it and that he believed the people around here was crazy.

I knew it was never possible for a live and wild tiger living here. It was probably another were that lived around here. I smiled and laughed along with Rob but uncertain inside. Was it wise to settle here when I knew there was a were animal roaming wild? Or maybe it was like Rob said and the people here was really crazy.

I decided I didn't care. Everywhere you went, you would find a supe of some sort. Rob showed me the large landscaped gardens (perfect for a dog to play around) and we agreed that I would meet him a few days later to go over a contract. That would give me time to look around in the little town, see if I liked it. Then I could start looking for possible job opportunities and maybe see if I could find myself a new car.

I was beaming when I returned to Joe in the cab. I told him about the house and the tiger myth. He loved it of course. He offered to drive me around town so I could look around. It was really cozy and nice and only made me surer that this was the right place for me.

We headed back to London and Joe dropped me off at my hotel. He was generous with his discount and I didn't need to pay him too much. "For keeping an old man happy and in company a whole day. Good luck with the moving Hannah" He waved at me before he took off. I sighted happily pleased with my day. Night was coming though, and I needed to eat and plan tomorrow before it got too late.

With the burst I felt from Eric last night I didn't want to take any chances staying up longer than necessary. I ate at the hotel restaurant again before I headed up to my room. I wondered how I was going to find a car in this city. My thoughts drifted off to John Quinn, maybe he could help me?

No, I decided that I could manage myself. I slipped out of my clothes and into the shower. The hot water was almost burning, easing of the tension in my back. As I stood there I checked by walls around the bond to Eric. They were tight in place and I didn't dare to take them down and check. The connection I had with Bill was gone completely (thankfully).

That was one thing I could really thank Eric for.

I finished my shower and popped two sleeping pills before I tucked myself into bed.

**Eric POV**

Tonight was the night I was supposed to claim Sookie as my own. I didn't know if I was angry or still amused at her running away. I only knew that it would have been most pleasing to find her and put an end to her running tonight. But that was obviously not happening. I couldn't locate her through or bond, not even the direction.

I had been resting at Fangtasia and was now seated in my office going through some paperwork. I didn't bother go looking for her before I even got some clues as in with direction I would look. So I decided to do as much paperwork I could do, so I could leave my child when I need to without leaving her with everything. A few hours later the doors to Fangtasia opened. Pam was at her usual post in the door and I sat on my throne sipping at a True Blood, having already finished a lot of paperwork.

It was when Bill Compton walked through the doors that I really started to get irritated. "Bill. What can I do for you?" I said in my bored tone when he approached me not bothering being polite.

"Eric. I need to speak with Sookie. She is not in her home; I believe you could tell me where she is?" He drawled in his overdone accent.

"Her home is now mine. You will not go near it again. As for Sookie you will never again speak with her again either" I said with the tip of my fangs showing.

He tried to hide his irritation but as a young vampire (and being as stupid as he was) he failed miserably. "What happened to the Shifter?" He asked in his stiff tone.

"That is none of your concern. But if you must know…" I smirked at him "…he needed a little reminder of how important it is to respect his elders."

"The Queen wants her Eric." Bill whispered shouted after a little pause. I rose quickly from my throne and got in his face "Don't make yourself more stupid than you already are _Bill_. I will and can protect her a lot better than you ever will. Now leave, I will not discuss this with you, especially not here" I hissed low at him so only he could hear.

He only nodded and left. My phone started vibrating. It was Rasoul with hopefully good news.

"Yes?" I snapped still in bad mood after dealing with Compton. Knowing the Queen wanted Sookie was not new news, but she was getting impatient. This was not good.

"_Sheriff. No one at the airport can remember a Sookie Stackhouse. I glamoured a security guard into showing me the surveillance film. I located your… pet and I believe she traveled under false ID to London."_

Hmm, this would make it a little more difficult. I had not heard from any of my contacts yet either. "Did you find out under what name she traveled?" I asked him.

"_Not yet Sheriff. I am just finished in the security room. I will track down the people who interacted with her and find out."_

"Very well. Call me back immediately when you find it" I said and hung up. I slumped back in my chair and couldn't help but smile. London. My little fairy would return to me before I even got to enjoy the chase. What a pity. But I would not complain, the faster I got her back, the faster I could rub myself all over her and claim her as mine.

**Sookie POV**

I had woken up from a good night's sleep. After breakfast I headed outside and got into a cab that drove me to a car shop you could buy used cars. I wasn't about to spend all of my money in a brand new one.

I met a really nice sales lady who showed around until I found my new car, a blue ford focus. Then came the hard part; finding my way to the Sunnyside without crashing the new car along the way. Driving in London was terrifying and very different from what I was used too. Eventually I found my way and got to my destination safe and sound.

Rob had told me I could come and look at the place some more if I wanted too and that was just what I intended to do. I stepped out of the car and walked around the house to the grand back garden. It was more like a little park that led to a forest. I walked around and found a patch that led into the forest.

It was covered with colorful leaves that gleamed beautifully in the sunlight. Through my walk I was able to relax and think about all the sudden turns in my life. I was beginning to get cold feet about the Sunnyside. It was beautiful and perfect for me but should I travel some more? Could I settle down and start a new life here, or was Eric going to find me? I hadn't felt anything from the bond since the bolt of energy. That both pleased and concerned me.

I figured it was best to wait getting myself a dog, in case I needed to relocate fast. I was not going down without a fight. Determination seeped into me making my fingers spark. I would not back down, Eric would not find me. He couldn't possibly know through the bond. The only way was if he found Shane and that I doubted. It would probably be wise to buy a plane ticket to somewhere else as a false lead if he ever found out.

A crack sounded beside me inside the forest startling me from my thoughts. My hart jumped into my throat as I tried to see what it was that had made the sound. Could it just be the wind? It sounded like someone breaking a branch. I opened my mind as I searched for brains or voids (even if it was in the middle of the day I feared it would be a vampire). There was nothing except one hazy brain. I recognized the pattern, or lack of. It was the same I read from John Quinn from the bank.

I knew he was a _were_ of some sort, but could he be the one making the sounds? Frightened I decided to run. I ran as fast as I could back the same way I came from. I kept track of the brain that followed me in the same speed. Blood and adrenaline was rushing through my body so violently I thought I was going to pass out any moment.

As I reached the tree line I bolted through the garden, around the house and into my car. Locking all the doors I panted hard to catch my breath. I spied at the corner of the house for the _thing_ that had followed me but nothing came. I didn't want to sit around and wait for it to so I started my car and drove off as fast as I could.

I drove around while trying to catch my breath before I parked at a little café deciding I needed some coffee. "Are you alright, ma'am?" the waiter asked me as I sat down in a booth. My hands were shaking and I probably looked terrible.

Forcing I smile on my lips I knew would look fake I nodded "I'm fine thanks. I just need a coffee."

The waiter only nodded and hurried along to bring me my coffee. 'Okay Sookie, calm down' I mentally told myself. The thing in the woods hadn't tried to catch me. Or wasn't capable to do so at least. The question is, if it was going to be a problem if I moved in or not.

I decided not to dwell on it anymore. I would know if it was going to be a problem or not until I tried. I finished up my coffee and headed outside. Since it was a small town I left my car and walked. I wanted to see if I could find myself a job. I located the mall quickly and strolled around looking for a place that would suit me. After an hour with careless walking I snapped myself out of it and agreed with myself that clothes was not my thing.

Remembering what Joe my cabdriver had told me about the little town, I got back to my car and drove to the library. It was a large old building that had probably been a mansion for some rich Lord or something back in the days. Funny how a small town like this could have such a large library.

"Hello" an old lady behind a tall desk greeted me as I entered. "Hello, my name is Hannah Davis" I replied happily "I was just wondering if you are hiring or if there are some open spots?" I asked hesitantly crossing my fingers behind my back. She wore a nametag that read "Mrs. Figg"

Mrs. Figg looked up at me more sharply before her features softened again "Are you new in town?" she asked avoiding my question. I nodded and only replied "Yes ma'am" before I fought the urge to peek into her mind to see what she was thinking.

"Welcome to Sunnew dear. It is good to have some new blood in this town" she smiled "but I am sorry to say that we don't need any more people working here. It is not many people who come by to borrow a book these days with technology and such" she huffed the last word clearly displeased about the new increasing technology.

"Oh, okay" I said disappointed. The silence hung in the air when I thought about other places I could ask. Maybe I should ask at the mini mall anyway, that way my job was close to home even if I didn't like it much. I didn't want to travel any further.

"Thank you anyways ma'am" I said politely before I smiled and turned around to leave.

"Miss Davis" the old lady called after me. I turned around to look at her in hope when she only sighted. "Leave your name on number and I can see what I can do" she said seeming tired. I couldn't hold back my smile as I almost bounced back to her desk where she handed me a pen and a paper.

There was only one problem. I didn't have a phone yet. Instead I wrote down my address and my e-mail, thinking I needed to buy a phone soon. After leaving my name, address and e-mail I thanked her again I rushed out of the library in a great mood, already forgotten about my concerns. I really wanted that job!

I had to drive for a while, only stopping for dinner before I found a motel. I sat on the bed with my laptop and searched for cheap plane tickets to create a false track. I knew this was important if Eric found out about my new name but was keeping it a low price not wasting any more money than necessary.

I decided to buy a ticket to Romania, then from Romania to France and from France to Norway. As for my final destination I ordered a ticket back to America and Shreveport. That would make his dead brain spin. I smirked, _almost_ hoping he would take the bait. Of course it would be better if he had no clue about my arrangement with the new ID.

Tired and satisfied I crawled up in bed, sent a silent prayer to above (about the library job and Eric never finding me) before I fell asleep.

* * *

**I'll be waiting for your thoughts (while writing more chapters)! The were in the forest? The false bait Sookie is making for Eric? Hmm... **


	6. Chapter 6

**It is so much fun to receive reviews from you when you try to guess what will happen/should happen! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am excited to hear what you think of how the events play out. :-D :-D**

**In this chapter Barry (the bellboy) will be mentioned. He is NOT telepathic in my story.  
I will also present a new OFC who will definitely have a say in this story! I hope you will like her. **

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! **

* * *

**Eric POV**

Hannah Davis. I wondered why she would use that name. I called my child through our bond. I sat in my office after a calm night of entertaining the vermin from my throne.

"You called?" Pam drawled, clearly displeased that I had ruined her late night snack.

"My little fairy has a new ID." I enlightened her. I didn't know why I bothered when she only raised an eyebrow telling me silently that she didn't give a shit about my pet and wanted to go back to her snack. If I knew her right she was hoping I would jump up and ask her to prepare for a fight, orgy or shopping for expensive clothes.

"Hannah Davis" I watched for any reaction at all when I mentioned Sookie's new name. When she only raised her eyebrow higher waiting for something more interesting I growled and dismissed her.

Sighing she walked up to me and sat down at my desk. "Eric. When you gave me the command to do your dirty work, obsessing about finding out everything about that fairy I did my research well. I can tell you that she uses strawberry scented shower cream, she eats a lot of something called Land O Lakes, has a relative that lives in Bulgaria, has rubber boots with butterflies and flowers on in any thinkable color, she hates the supernatural community, loves the sun…"

It wasn't what I was hoping to find out about Sookie right at the moment but I didn't disturb my child as it was nice to have a little reminder of what I needed to change in my home when Sookie would live there. Buy lots of Land O Lakes was duly noted.

"…She loves coffee as a newborn loves blood, you know her brother, her fairy people and the love she had for her Gran. She is a telepath. She will die of the lack of sun if she doesn't see it in more than three days, she doesn't feel right without a tan and goes to a umbrella vending machine and pray each Sunday for the rain to stay away. She thinks the umbrella is holy and uses it to fight off wild animals that lurk around in her forest…"

"Pam" I growled. I was confused. If it wasn't for the fact that my child looked dead serious and her emotions were still annoyed, I would believe she was mocking me.

"Eric, my point is. I have a snack waiting for me downstairs. If I would have known any connection Sookie had with the name 'Hannah Davis' I would have told you already. I rather think you are wasting your time with her."

I growled again but Pam continued, "Yes, I know she is a great asset to us but she is not worth the chase and the problems she brings along with her." She stood from my desk and walked to the door. "I will help you find her if you want me to. Until then I will enjoy my time without her present and without any problems that will both make us meet our final death."

With that she left my office to go back to her meal. I was still growling at her a few minutes later. She was lucky I loved her so damn much.

I logged onto my computer and searched for a "Hannah Davis".

**Sookie POV**

Today was the day I was meeting with Rob to look over and sign the contract. I had driven to the café in town to eat breakfast before I was meeting him. When I drove up the long driveway I felt the butterflies taking off.

Rob was waiting for me at the small staircase that led up to the double front doors. "Hannah" he greeted me with the same excitement I felt. "God morning Rob" I smiled back.

"Indeed it is" he beamed "I suggest that we go through the contract back in the garden where we can sit on the benches."

I nodded eagerly. We went through the contract together as I looked for something I wanted to change. I came up with nothing. I could rent the house for one year at the time with two months' probation. If I left the furniture I bought when I would leave I would get money back for them.

When we started to sign the papers (one for me and one for him) I felt that the hazy brain was back. I looked in the direction I felt it – right into the forest – but didn't see anything. But I knew it was there, whatever it was.

"And the last one, Hannah" Rob pulled me back to the papers. I turned to the last page and wrote my new name down for the last time. I sighed in relief. I had finally done it! The house was now mine.

"Congratulations Hannah" We stood from the bench and shook hands, the hazy brain still in the back of my mind. "If you need anything or have any questions at all, you just call me" he smiled, still shaking my hand.

I smiled my crazy Sookie smile. "Of course Rob. Thank you so much!" I said feeling rather light and bubbly with excitement when he handed me the keys.

After he left I squealed and ran into my new home. It was a little big for only one person but with the price so low I didn't bother to care. It was more than I could have ever hoped for. I went through the house one more time before I locked the door behind me and went to my car.

The brain I had felt was gone. I decided to not bother with it as long as it didn't bother me (other than stay in the woods and making me nervous). If it wanted to make itself known I knew it would when it was ready. Was it going to attack me or play friends I didn't know but I would be ready either way!

Maybe I _should_ call Quinn and ask him if he knew anyone living out here that was like him. I didn't know what type of were he was but he probably knew who It was (if it was not him) since it was the same brain pattern as him.

I drove through town slowly, looking at the library as I passed it before I headed off. I was driving a town closer to the city "Sundale Fall", to look at some furnishing. I needed to stop for direction three times before I found it. It was a large building and I almost ran inside with excitement.

I met an employee at the door who was handing out blank lists and pens everyone could use to write down what I wanted to buy in their store. He also explained that they could drive it home to your house and take the old furniture with them. The last part was not necessary in my case, but the first part was definitely lightening my already great mood.

The store was divided into different sections and led you through a "whole house". I had decided that I would only buy the necessary now, and come back later for more.

The first section was the kitchen section. I decided on a table and chair that would match my old style house. The equipment I found I took with me in a basked so I could start using it right away.

Moving through the Hallway, Living room and Bedroom sections I had almost filled out the whole list. My thoughts about "the only things necessary" were quickly forgotten. I had too much fun trying out the couches and thinking about which closed or table that would fit the best into my new home.

Delivering my address along my list to the man behind the service desk I smiled when I saw his shocked expression.

"Moving into a new house?" He asked his eyes wide on me and smiling. "Yes" I smiled in return before I paid for the furniture. It was expensive but I was pleased. I knew my Gran would be happy for me and I held the medallion around my neck tight in my hand before I sighted and started to fill up my car. The kitchen equipment, bathroom supplies, lamps and other unnecessary garnish filled up my car to the brim.

I drove right home and took everything inside before I drove off again to the little café for some dinner. I was starting to think about the café, "Jitters" as my new Merlotte's. Each time I had been there I had the same waiter. I learned his name was Barry and he was really cute. The food was okay and there were only regulars that usually came in.

From everyone's minds I knew they knew about my recent claim on Sunnyside and everyone was accepting me into their town. After dinner I drove back to the motel in time for the nightfall. I couldn't wait to get the furniture in house, and then sleep in my new own bed, in my new own home.

I read some news on my laptop. Nothing outstanding had happened. I crawled into bed and grinned as a fool. I had a home again, and it was only mine and no vampires would ever have an invitation into my new house. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

**Eric POV**

It had been three days since I got the call from Rasoul that told me my pet was in London. I had ordered him to travel after her and see if he could pick up her smell at the airport she had landed on, but as I feared her smell was gone.

I had found a "Hannah Davis" in my computer but whatever I did I didn't get access to her accounts. She thought she was smart. I was sitting at my throne, watching the vermin mingle around on the floor. My underlings had watched me with careful eyes. Everyone could feel the change in my mood. I was getting irritated.

My little Sookie had disappeared from the earth's surface. Not even her brother, the dog or anyone else had heard from her. I was clenching my jaw as I thought about my next move. I had tried to send bolts of energy through or now almost ended bond but I didn't know if she could feel it or not.

The fangbangers were really happy at the turn of events. The anger I felt had I taken out on them by chaining them up in my basement. Often many women, and they were all blonde of course. But they only angered me further when they enjoyed what I did with them. Pam was happy though. No matter how long I kept going with the fangbangers I could never find my release. And if I did it was not satisfying. I wanted my Sookie back.

Her little running show was over. I was going to have her within the next few days I would make sure. She was going to pay for this. I was going to make the strongest blood blond between us so she could never break it. I was going to make her pledge to me. She was never going to leave my side again and I would make sure _she_ never wanted to leave my side. I was going to turn her. But, maybe not right away.

I neededher in my dead life.

I was circling my tongue around my exposed fangs as I decided what to do. Quickly I stood from my throne making the vermin gasp in surprise and joy.

I walked out the main door where Pam was on post checking ID's. "You are in charge. I am going to London." I snapped before I took to the air. I called Anubis Air and ordered a coffin on the first plane to London. I was lucky. It would leave this morning and I would be in London at nightfall. Perfect.

..

In London I met Rasoul. "Sherriff" he nodded in respect "I have found some more clues. I glamoured out the information on a Hannah Davis; she has made a reservation on a flight to Romania."

"When?" I asked.

"She will be leaving in two days. Daytime" he replied.

I hadn't imagined her to travel at night, so that didn't surprise me. I had two days to find her. She would probably stay at a hotel nearby. This was good. My good mood was returning. There was no way she could hide from me now.

"You have permission to go home. You will get a rather large bonus for your troubles." I said to Rasoul as we walked out of the airport.

"Yes, Sheriff. Thank you" He said and bowed down to his waist. I only nodded before I took to the air. I visited four hotels and glamoured twelve people before I found the right one.

"Yes Sir, but she checked out a couple of days ago" the woman behind the desk said as she eye fucked me. "No one has been living in the room since then. I can take you up there and show you if you would like" she winked at me, and leaned forward so I could look down her blouse.

"That would be lovely" I smirked at her; I wasn't about to waste my precious time fucking the ugly bitch but I hadn't eaten in a while.

She led me across the lobby to the elevators. As the doors closed behind us and the elevator started to move I had she pressed up against the wall fangs out. I could smell her disgusting arousal, nothing like my Sookie.

Catching her eyes with my stare I pulled inside her brain. "You will give me your blood and then take the elevator down to the lobby and do your job as normal. Tomorrow you will wake up and only remember how we fucked until dawn and you passed out of pure pleasure. Understand?"

"Yes" she moaned and tilted her neck in my direction when I dropped my glamour. Smirking again I leaned in and inhaled her scent. The smell was all wrong. It was not sweet smell of strawberry, honey and vanilla. But most important it didn't smell like the sun.

Growling in frustration I sank my fangs in her neck a little too hard making her scream. I took a few mouthfuls before I let go. I didn't bother to heal her bite-marks after she gave me the room card and left in the elevator.

Sookie had been in this room there was no doubt. But her scent was a few days old. I scanned the room for something of a clue. I smelled the bed but the sheets had been cleaned. I checked underneath, inside the closets and in the bathroom. It was there I found the little card where a familiar name was written across.

John Quinn. I knew he moved out of the country after I released him from his debt. So my little Sookie had been in contact with the weretiger. Dialing his number I grinned to myself. I guess having my fairy back in a couple of days wouldn't be a problem after all.

"_John Quinn"_ His familiar voice rang through the phone as he picked up.

"Quinn, this is Eric Northman. I believe you have some information I want." I said a matte-of-factly walking casually around the room.

"_Oh shit. It was you she was running from. Northman, had I known, you know I would have contacted you" _Why did I get the feeling he was lying? "_She came in and I helped her with her bank accounts. Gave her my number but haven't heard from her since." _

"Can you remove the security around her accounts so I can track her?" I asked again. I didn't like him knowing that I had lost my pet.

"_No can do. She has created several passwords no one else knows, so only she can remove the firewall that hides all of her accounts activity." _

Fuck. "Do I need to remind you of your debt to me, tiger?" I snarled into the phone.

"_You released me from the debt years ago, vampire" _Quinn snarled back into the phone. He was right. After I saved him from the Pits he had been in my services even since. Eventually he had earned his freedom and I had released him. But it wasn't only him I had saved from the underground fighting arena. I had saved his cousin as well.

"As I recall you took responsibility for both yours and your cousin's debt. You have repaid yours, now I want you to repay hers." I was playing an unfair card but it wasn't much I was asking of him so I didn't care.

Hearing him sighing into the phone I knew I had won. _"I will hire a hacker who will work on her accounts_. But it will take time." he said finally.

"Jesus Quinn, it's _your_ bank, shouldn't you be able to fix this easy?" I said irritated.

"_Northman, it is a reason why every supe in this county have their accounts in my bank. I give them the security no one else can provide and that does include security from even me!" _he huffed into the phone equally irritated as me.

"Fine" I sighted. I knew his business well. I even had one security box placed there and knew how impossible it was for anyone, even him, to break in. "Just get me a call when you get through to her accounts. And do it fast."

"_I will do it as fast as I can. And if I do it, my cousin's debt is paid as well?" _

"It is no _if_. You will do it. And when you do it your cousin's debt is paid. How is she?" I asked, calming down. This would help a lot to retrieve my pet.

When I had saved him and his cousin from the Pits, she had only been a child. She, unlike Quinn, wanted to stay and fight. That amused me to no end and I had her staying in my house for many years after. She lived to torture Pam and she quickly became a feisty warrior under my training. She was like a sister, equal to Godric and Pam in my dead heart. But she had eventually grown up to a beautiful mysterious woman. If she hadn't been a were I would definitely have claimed her as a mate right away and I knew Pam would too even if she denied it.

"_She is back to old habits I'm afraid"_ Quinn sighed again. "_She is taking great care of her Gran though, helping out in the library. But besides that, she is back to the diet and her nature."_

The rare thing about Quinn's cousin was her nature. Most were-animals were human in their main nature and animal in their second. They lived their normal life as humans, had jobs, houses, and ate ordinary food… Then shift back to their animal form when they wanted to. But not her, not Timmie… Timmie's main nature was when she was in her tiger form. It was one of the greatest challenges Eric had ever had after he "saved" her along with her cousin; to make her turn to her human form.

Then, there was to make her eat something else besides humans and raw meat. She had to learn to speak the human language after forgetting it while staying in her main form (tiger) for so long. Eric had thought her both English and Swedish.

She was fragile in her human form but stronger than most of the other creatures fighting in the Pits in her tiger form. They feared her, along with her cousin. But she was beautiful. Unlike her cousin who was a red Bengal tiger, she was white.

Eric found it most fascinating each time she shifted; how such a small human could turn into such a large and powerful animal.

"That is too bad. Where is she now?" I asked. I could spare the rest of the night off. It was a few hours to sunrise and with Quinn finding access to Sookie's accounts I didn't feel the time pressure anymore. I wanted to visit my little sister and could use the whole night tomorrow to search for my pet.

"_She and her Gran live at the library in Sunnew. Two hours outside London."_

"Right. I expect a call soon, Quinn. You don't want to disappoint me!" I said dangerously before I hung up. Smelling the scent of Sookie once more, I took off down to the lobby again. I smirked to the woman behind the desk before walking out and launching for the sky.

It took a while to find Sunnew but eventually I landed in front of the library. Taking a deep breath I recognized the spicy, jet sweet smell that was Timmie. It wasn't a secret that weres and vampires hated each other. Usually they smelled like rotten eggs, no matter what kind of were you was. But Timmie smelled… Not good, but she didn't smell bad. She smelled of sweetness and of something spicy. There was something else in the air that jolted me a second. Sookie's scent lingered in the air. This was interesting.

Sniffing around I became determined in the knowledge that she had been here. I wondered why she was all the way out in the countryside when she was leaving for Romania in two days. I pushed it to the back of my head, figured it wouldn't be a problem. I would find her tomorrow anyways. Now, I needed to find Timmie.

Luckily she was easier to spot that my little fairy was. I was flying over the trees as I saw her white fur moving fast across the ground. She was running deeper and deeper into the forest. Smirking I made a plan before I landed a few meters before her, crouching down in fighting position, fangs fully out.

Timmie quenched before her deep rumbling started and she lowered herself ready to fight. Her razor-sharp teeth, longer than any vampires gleamed in the dark as the snarled.

..

Eric didn't wait for her to attack and decided to make the first move. Growling he flew forward right into her large body and threw her into a tree. Standing tall he smirked as she stood back up on her giant paws. Her rumbling excited him as it became more pronounced, sounding like a rusty chainsaw, motorbike or something else with an engine.

She pounced and was fast as she managed to slice his arm with her claws before he moved out of the way. Eric appeared behind her and was about to grab her when she turned quickly around and bit his outstretched arm. He hissed as her teeth dug deep into his arm, hitting the bone.

The tiger rose on two legs and paws stared to claw on him wherever they could reach. With a roar he threw her off him again and into a tree. An ugly _crack_ sounded from the back of the tiger as it made a whimpering sound and fell to the ground.

Eric didn't waste his time; already starting to heal he launched again and ended on top of her, pressing her into the ground. He knew her hit with the tree had broken something in her back but it didn't stop her rumbling as he chuckled down at her.

"Hello Timmie" he smirked, fangs still out. "You haven't forgotten how to fight, at least"

She only kept on rumbling but Eric didn't take any offence. He rolled off her and snuggled into her backside and smelled her. He was going to order her to turn back but he knew she needed time to heal whatever was broken in her back. When she lay outstretched like she did now, she was almost as tall as he was. Amazing!

His phone started to go off, disturbing their peace. Eric wasn't surprised to find it was Pam, after the pain Timmie had inflicted upon him during their fight.

"_Eric, I felt your pain. Are you okay? What happened?" _His child sounded worried through the phone.

Eric only smirked back "I am find, child. I just met Timmie" he said amused, waiting for a reaction.

It took a little time and he wondered if Pam was still there. "_Eric" _He could clearly hear her forced tone as she tried to speak normal but failed miserably. Her voice was too high and happy.

"_If you bring her home with you when you come back, I swear to God that I will personally make your life a living hell" _Eric smiled as she failed to keep her voice cool as she spoke. Pam and Timmie hadn't been the very best friends as she had stayed with them, but Eric knew they loved each other. Deep, deep down. Very deep down.

"She is back in her old tracks" I sighed, knowing Pam had worked her ass off along with me to learn her to live time a human. "I don't know if I will bring her home yet Pam. Don't you miss her a little?" I teased.

"_I do miss her when she was sleeping or outside fighting with you. I DON'T miss going home after hours in Fangtasia with her torturing me, only to find ALL OF MY SHOES EATEN UP" _She hissed into the phone.

I chuckled "I will tell her you love her, Pam" I said and hung up. Shifting my focus back to Timmie I stroked my hand over her fur, tracing her black stripes. It was like touching silk, I would never tire of touching it. One hour had passed as we just lay together. She had stopped the rumbling when I stroked her and started purring. I had healed only after a few minutes and I knew she was no longer in pain as well.

"Shift" I whispered. She didn't respond.

"Shift" I nudged her this time but she still didn't respond.

Grabbing her paws I turned her around so she was facing me. "Shift" I commanded as I tried to use glamour on her. The glamour didn't work, but I knew the tingling in her brain would make her understand my command and make her obey. We lay in silence a few minutes more before I felt her fur under my hand became rougher.

I would never get used to watching someone shift form, not even after a thousand years. Godric had never had the interest as I did and had always been grumpy after I forced him to roam the woods each full moon so we could watch shifters shift throughout my young years.

One minute later the little Timmie I knew so well was lying in my arms. She had grown into a fuller body and was even more beautiful than I remembered. She was completely white, a result I figured after eating only meat. Only her raven black hair, rosy nipples, full red lips and green eyes stood out. Her eyebrows were also dark and her body warmer than usual humans.

"Eric" She whispered. I pulled her closer to my body squeezing her tight in a hug.

"Timmie, I have missed you" I breathed in her scent, sweet and spice.

It took a little while before she spoke "I have missed you too". She had obviously been a tiger for the most of her time, considering she had to think about how to speak.

"You haven't forgotten how to fight" I smiled down at her as I tilted her head up so I could look her in the eyes. She only replied by smiling a soft little smile. "Pam said hi"

With that, she laughed and knew very well what Pam probably had said. In her tiger form, she was a tiger. She didn't think like a human, or understand what I said to her. It was our personal connection that let us understand each other. Or more like I could try to glamour her even if it didn't work, but she would know what I wanted her to do.

"You know she said I could eat her shoes right?" Timmie eventually said after a long pause.

"Is that right?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"She said if I did it you would buy her new ones" she giggled.

That fucking sneaky child of mine had it coming. No wonder she liked Timmie so much.

"So how have you been?" I asked her and pulled her even closer.

"Fine" was her only reply. I sighed "Timmie… What made you go back to being only tiger?" I asked her.

"I like it. It is who I am." she said simply. I nodded in understanding as I thought about what she said. She was only following her nature. I actually envied her a little, missing the old days when I and Godric traveled around, doing what we wanted to do, killing, fucking and drinking blood... Being what we were supposed to be; vampires!

"You are so beautiful Timmie" I whispered in her ear. She only snuggled closed into my chest.

After a while in silence she lifted her head to look at me "do you have a place to stay for the day? You can stay with me it you'd like."

"I would very much like that" I said and decided that it was probably time to get going. I stood up, still with Timmie in my arms. Taking a step back I looked over her body and felt my cock twitching. God, she was perfect. If there was someone I could have fucked and be satisfied with besides Sookie, it would he her. Too bad I couldn't take her. She jumped onto my back and I flew us back to the library.

She led me by rows after rows of bookshelves without any books and explained that everything was going to get a fresh stroke of paint when the morning came. A new attempt to get more customers come by, as her Gran had said.

Below the basement, deeper in the ground we were finally in her private chambers. Her gran was a wereowl and lived on the attic while Timmie had claimed the lowest floor. There was no floor, only dirt, the smell was old and earthy. She had a king-sized bed but at the looks of it, it was never used. There was nothing to cover the walls, a small desk in the corner and some meat half eaten meat on the floor.

I shrugged, feeling disturbingly at home as I made my way to the bed. Shredding my clothes off, I crawled into her bed stark naked, keeping my arms open for her to join me. Timmie was also still naked and I loved how both vampires and weres didn't care about modesty and nakedness as she too, crawled into the bed and my arms.

"What are you doing in London Eric?" She asked finally.

"I am looking for someone" I replied tiredly, already feeling the sun's pull.

After a little pause to choose her words, she said "And you believe that someone is here?"

"No, I believe she is in the city, near the airport. But I picked up her smell here actually when I was looking for you"

"Hm, that's odd. Sure you didn't imagine it or only caught someone who smelled similar?" She said looking up at me.

I sighed "I don't know. I was sure earlier tonight, but I don't know anymore. I know she is leaving for Romania in two days, but I have no idea why she would be all the way out here. Maybe it was just me smelling what I wanted to smell"

"There has been a new woman moving into town, actually it was yesterday I think. But she will be staying permanently as I have heard" Timmie said after a little pause again.

"Then it is not her. I will hunt her down tomorrow night before she can leave" I said determined. "I only stopped by here tonight to say hello to you. And fight you a little." I said and pulled her on top of me.

"You know you broke my spine right?" She said and glared at me. "That hurt!"

"I am sorry, love. I can't say it won't happen again, but I am sorry. Next time you'll just have to fight me better" I smirked at her.

She gave me a death stare but I could see the little smile she tried to hide. "Oh, I expect you to remain a human while in my presence as we sleep and that you will be here when I rise" I said firmly.

"Yes, Master" she nodded and I knew she told me the truth. Satisfied I succumbed to the pull of the sun, and died with my little were-sister in my arms.

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**Quinn is from the books and I am not going to say anything more about his and Eric's history. If you have not heard of him before and didn't understand anything in this chapter, PM me and I will explain further in more detail. :-)**

**Timmie is a new character. I won't tell too much about her as you will learn more in future chapters. BUT, she and Eric have a brother/sister relationship and are not fucking each other… This still is an Eric/Sookie story ;-)**

**Leave a review and let me know what you think! :-D**


	7. Chapter 7

**YES! Another chapter :-) Enjoy!**

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**S****ookie POV**

It would take a few days before the furniture I had ordered would be delivered to my house. In the meanwhile I didn't know what to do. I had started the day with a breakfast at Jitters and driven around looking for a job. I found a museum that looked really interesting but it was too far away. On my way back to Sunnew I had asked around in the little mall, but everyone said they had enough people.

It was lunchtime and I was back at Jitters. "Hey, Barry" I said as he approached with my usual coffee. Barry was an ordinary human, but he was a low broadcaster and not hard to block out so I enjoyed his company.

He sat down in my booth and stared at me with worried eyes "Are you okay? Found any jobs yet?"

I smiled sadly at him "No. Who would have thought it would be so hard to find a job?" I sighed as I took a sip of the coffee.

He smiled back. "The boss said there might be a job for you here". I knew he only tried to be helpful but I wasn't exactly ecstatic about working in a restaurant. I kind of had my fill in that department. But it was better than nothing so I just smiled and nodded.

"So what are you eating today?" he asked and stood up. "I think I'll just have a sandwich" I replied and he immediately walked off with my order.

I took my time, eating as slowly as possible not wanting to go back to reality and search for more jobs. But I couldn't delay it anymore and left a large tip to Barry before I headed home. I needed something to brighten my mood and going _home_ was what I needed. I had already started to smile as I thought about it.

Driving up _my _driveway, parking inside _my _garage (even if I wasn't going to stay for too long), and entering _my _house brought a smile to my face. I walked around for a bit and admired every room. The things I had bought yesterday made everything more _mine_. The main bedroom had an adjoining bathroom that contained a hot tub. I couldn't wait to try it out.

I didn't know what I wanted to do with the other three bedrooms. One, I would leave as a guest bedroom. The second was I planning to make an office in. The last I wondered if I should use as a workout room, but I knew I wouldn't spend much time in there anyway. Maybe I should make it a little library for myself, or stash it with things I could kill vampires with. I snorted to myself thinking that would be a great idea.

It was as I walked up to the front door, I saw the note. It hung on my door and I snatched it down.

_Miss Davis. _

_If you are interested, your services will be needed in the library today. We are painting the bookshelves. Stop by if you have time. _

_Mrs. Figg._

This was good news! I reminded myself not to get my hopes up, it did say I was only needed for today but that was all the time I needed. I would be at my best behavior and charm everyone who was there so they would want me to come back and work permanently. Locking the door behind me I rushed to the garage and into my car.

The drive to the library went quickly but I couldn't help getting the feeling that something was wrong. I checked all my shields so they were tight in place before I walked inside. The smell of fresh paint was the first thing that hit me.

"Hello?" I called out when there was no one in sight, Mrs. Figg's desk empty. No one answered so I walked further into the library. Everything looked so old, the stone stair that led up to the second floor completely worn out.

"Oh, hello dear, I am so glad you decided to come by. We could use an extra set of hands" Mrs. Figg appeared around a corner.

"Yes, I just found the note ma'am" I replied smiling. "I would love to help out."

"Good, just follow me" she said and walked back the same way she had appeared from. I followed her deeper into the library as she walked quickly past rows of books. She reminded me a little of my Gran, with her long gray hair and by the way she seemed so wise and calm but still with fire ready to come out.

Ahead I could see stacks of books lined up everywhere. A girl at my age stood on a ladder as she pained the top of one of the shelves.

"This is my granddaughter Timmie. She works here and owns the library together with me" Mrs. Figg said. The girl looked down at me with curious eyes.

"Timmie, this is Hannah, the girl I have been telling you about" Mrs. Figg said to her granddaughter.

I stared up at her "Hello, it is nice to meet you" I said and smiled as bright as I could.

I waited for her to reply but nothing came. My smile faltered a little bit as I wondered if I had said something wrong.

"Likewise" she said and started me. I looked up at her again. She wasn't even smiling and only returned to painting where she had left off. I couldn't help to feel a little hurt by her coldness but I didn't have much time to think about it before Mrs. Figg gave me a large brush and told me I would paint the middle section.

"So, Miss Davis dear" Mrs. Figg said.

"Please call me Hannah" I said smiling. Mrs. Figg returned my smile "Where do you come from?"

I wondered if I should tell the truth or not. I figured if Eric would find out I was in London, he would never find his way to an old library out on the countryside. "I come from a small town called Bon Temps. It is in the south of US" I smiled.

"How lovely" Mrs. Figg said. "Why did you move here, if I may ask?"

"Of course ma'am" I smiled again, doing my best to sound sincere. "My parents died when I was young and I was raised by my Gran. When she died a year ago I decided to do something with my life and get a fresh start. It was just a coincidence that I moved here."

"I am so sorry for your loss, dear. That must be terrible!" She stopped painting to look at me.

"Thank you, it was horrible. But there was nothing I could do, so now I just have to live my life and hope my parents and Gran are watching me with pride from wherever they are." I said, feeling the tears in my eyes. The truth was; I could have done something with my Grans death if I hadn't been so stupid and dated Bill.

Mrs. Figg only nodded and we resumed painting.

After a while, Mrs. Figg continued questioning me. "So how do you like living in the Sunnyside?"

"I haven't got any furniture yet, so for now I live in a motel. But I really love the house. It is really beautiful there. A little big for just me, but I love it all the same." I said honestly.

"Yes, it is quite nice. You don't have anyone to share it with, a man perhaps?" she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"No ma'am" I laughed.

"You see, I have tried to find Timmie here a mate for years now. But she is determined to not give me any great grandchildren before I die!" she said and looked at Timmie who had ignored us the whole time.

"I don't want any children" was the only thing Timmie said as she kept going brushing fresh paint over the same area.

I bit my bottom lip, feeling something was off about her. Shrugging I went back to my own work when I started to think about something. "Mrs. Figg, is it only the two of you who work here? No one else helps with the painting?" I asked uncertainly. If it was only the three of us I was sure we wouldn't finish the job before five years had passed.

"Ordinary it is only I and Timmie who work here, yes. But we have a team painting the east wing and another one the west wing of the library today. There will be two more teams here by tomorrow that will help us with the ground floor." she said.

I was still a little skeptical about being able to finish painting everything soon, even with help. But I didn't question her any further.

"So you like to read, Hannah dear?" Mrs. Figg asked me.

"I love it" I said excitedly. "I love how you can just get lost in the words and step into a complete different world" I said dreamy, remembering all the times I and Gran had been sitting out on the porch with each our book and read until we were forced to get up.

"You are a wise woman Hannah Davis" Mrs. Figg said approvingly after I told her about me and my Gran's passion for books.

We talked about everything between heaven and earth while Timmie ignored us completely. I found that Mrs. Figg reminded me more and more about my own Gran and I liked her a lot. A few hours later we had lunch with the other "teams" that had been working in the second floor.

They were all men and were very eager to talk and suggest dinner dates and stuff. I had only laughed them off shyly as I noticed Timmie's distaste for them. I wondered what her problem was and was tempted to check her thoughts, but out of respect I didn't do it.

When we finished lunch, Mrs. Figg ordered the men to start working on the ground floor. "Timmie, you should show Hannah around the library" she said to her granddaughter and turned to me and asked if I wanted a tour.

"I'd love to" I smiled and stood up as Timmie led the way. I walked behind her up the stairs to the second floor and around the east wing. It was larger than I thought and I knew there must be something supernatural about the boys if they had managed to paint all the shelves in one day. The west wing was similar to the east wing. Books were in piles everywhere around us and I noticed they were very old looking too.

"Eh, Timmie, have I done something wrong? Should I go?" I asked finally tired of her cold shoulder.

She turned around and looked at me. "No, nothing wrong" she said and smiled. It was the first time I had ever seen her smile and it was not pretty. It couldn't be any more forced on her face. Again I wondered if I should check her thoughts but they were obviously not good thought so I decided not to. I wasn't in the mood to hear about how "bitch, fat or ugly" I was.

I nodded back and she turned around and kept going. She looked really mysterious. Her skin was pale white and her hair was shiny and black as the night. Her eyes were green and her cheekbones high. She was beautiful and I knew she could have been a model if she wanted to.

It was kind of the opposite of me. She had the hourglass figure completely right, but I was a little rounder than her. I was tan and blond while she was white and dark. If I was I fairy she could easily be a demon. Maybe that was why she was so weird.

"You have already seen this floor" she said as we walked down the stairs to the first floor. I just followed her as she walked past aisles and more aisles before we came to a small hallway. There were no doors, just the stone making an archway.

"This leads down to the basement" she said as we walked through and down some worn stairs. We entered a cold room which contained only a few boxes and more books. It was dark and I felt a little chill run down my spine as Timmie turned around and looked at me with her dark green eyes. I thought I saw the familiar hunger in her eyes as vampires used to look at me with, but it quickly disappeared.

I looked around and noticed another archway. Gulping nervous I looked back at Timmie "Where does that lead?" I asked her.

"Downstairs. Never go down there" She said startling me as I looked quickly back at her.

"I don't think I want to" I said hastily as I opened my mind to find out what was going on. Something wasn't right.

I recognized the hazy brain immediately. It was the same patters as John Quinn and the same that roamed my woods. It was probably her that had followed me. I picked up a few words such as _food, blood_ and _hunt. _She narrowed her eyes, making me aware that she probably felt me in her brain.

Slapping a crazy Sookie smile on my face "Shall we go back upstairs?" I asked. She only nodded and led the way upstairs. When we were safe above the ground I let go of the breath I had been holding.

We painted for a few hours more before Mrs. Figg said it was enough for the day. She gave me some money for the trouble and said she would be happy to have me around in the future, before she winked at me.

I reminded myself _again _not to get my hopes up, as I drove from the library. I had also six new numbers from the men who had been working in my pocket. They knew I had moved into the Sunnyside and said I could call if I needed help with something as electricity, moving furniture, painting and so on. I had thanked them all, a little overwhelmed before I said bye to Timmie and left.

I had three hours before I had to go to bed. I drove out of town and bought myself a phone. It had been too long since I had called Sam and heard Jason's voice. I wanted to call Shane and tell him how thankful I was for him. I chuckled, thinking about calling Eric to say "hello" and ask how he was doing but decided against it. The man behind the desk helped me fix the phone so it was untraceable and I gave him some extra tip before I told him to have a good night.

Back in my motel room I dialed Jason's number.

"_Hello_?" I felt tears filling up my eyes as I heard his voice.

"Hey Jason, its Sookie" I said smiling.

"_Hey Sook! What's up?" _He said casually as he was chewing on something.

"Um, nothing I just wanted to talk a little. How is everyone doing?" I asked quickly. It was better to lead him into talking about him than me.

"_Fine, fine. I haven't seen Sam for a while, Tara has been gone too. Hoyt has left… And I am still working at the road crew" _He had started out sounding excited but at the end he sounded damn miserable. I kind of felt bad for him, but I wasn't in a position to do something about it.

"But you are doing okay?" I asked still guilty.

"_Yeah. I have met this new girl, Crystal. She is good company" _he said excitement back in his voice.

"Of course she is" I said dryly.

We talked some more about him and his new flame for the week before we hung up. I felt a lot better knowing everything was normal and fine with Jason. Jason was still Jason. But I worried for Sam though, why hadn't Jason seen him?

"Sam?" I said into the phone as I heard him pick up and before he could say anything.

"_Sookie, is that you?" _He sounded tired and I immediately got more worried.

"Sam, are you okay? You don't sound so good. Jason said he hadn't seen you in a while! Has something happened?" I asked franticly.

"_Oh, Sookie, how are you? Are you okay? Safe? Eric is pissed off and looking all over for you!" _He said ignoring my questions.

"Sam, I am alright. I can't tell you anything else but that." I said sad.

"_It's okay Sookie. When Eric found out you were gone he came to interrogate me. When I said I didn't know more that you have gone on a vacation he was furious. He didn't hurt me too bad, but then he got his child to take over while he started his search for you I guess" _He said bitterly.

"Oh Sam, I am so sorry. What did she do to you?" I asked afraid for what he was going to say.

"_Eric ordered her just to not kill me. She almost broke his orders" _was the only thing he said. I gasped and felt the tears run down my chin. This was my entire fault.

"Oh my God, Sam I am so sorry" I whispered between sobs.

"_Don't cry Cher, it wasn't your fault. I think Eric lost it for a while when he ordered Pam to interrogate me further. After he found me with Pam he offered his blood to heal me faster. I think he felt guilty and was clearly irritated with Pam" _he sounded amused but it was hard to tell with his hoarse voice.

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked feeling a little better. I hope Eric had punished Pam badly.

"_I'll be fine. I didn't take Eric's blood, but I still heal faster than regular humans" _He said reassuringly. I smiled, knowing he would never take Eric's blood willingly.

"I will try to call more often. I haven't had a phone until today…" I said trailing off.

"_Sookie, you know he is a thousand years old, right? He will not stop until he has hunted you down. He is obsessed" _Sam sounded worried and nervous… Probably thinking that I would have a tantrum and accusing him of not support me… But I knew he was right, I was never safe.

"I think I have it covered Sam. I have taken a few precautions. I know I need to hide for the rest of my life but I will not go down without a fight. I will not live as his slave, not if I can help it" I said firmly.

"_I know Sook, and I hope you will be happy in your new life. Just don't forget to call me, okay?" _

I smiled and wiped the tears of my face "I promise Sam. Keep an eye on Jason for me, will you?"

"_Always" _He chuckled before he coughed.

"I'll call you soon. Take care Sam, and stay away from the dead people" I smiled.

"_Don't worry about that" _He said and I could almost picture him clear in my mind smiling into the phone.

After we hung up, I wondered if I should dial Shane's number. I decided against it, seeing it was getting darker. Instead I popped two sleeping pills as usual and crawled into bed.

**Eric POV**

Waking up with a warm and naked body beside me was like being in heaven. I rolled over and pressed myself against her.

"Fuck, you smell like shit" I exclaimed opening my eyes and looked at Timmie. She lay lazy beside me with a grin on her face.

"I have been painting bookshelves the whole day. I thought we could take a shower together?" she said after a few minutes. I looked around for the supposed shower but didn't see any other doors.

"Where?" I asked eventually.

Timmie stood from the bed, letting me admire her naked form again before she walked up the stairs leading to the basement. I quickly followed her, but before we reached the basement there was another hallway I hadn't noticed on the way down.

We entered a modern bathroom where Timmie quickly entered the large shower. I followed suit not taking my eyes off her body. I took the soap out of her hand and started to wash her. Massaging her scalp and the rest of her body I couldn't help getting hard. I was suffering from blue balls even if I had tried to release myself on the fangbangers. But I was never satisfied. I knew Timmie could have taken me half way there but I needed Sookie to be complete.

I crouched down and started to wash her legs. Beneath my fingers Timmie couldn't help but moan. The shower had a seat in it and I sat down dragging her into my lap so she was straddling me.

"I wish I could have you" I murmured into her neck while massaging her back.

"I know" she sighed and rested her head on my shoulder. We sat there a long time just letting the hot water rain down on us. Timmie was hugging me tightly, stroking her head along my shoulder as I nuzzled her neck.

When she lived with me and Pam we had given into the desires and had sex. I was magnificent and the best I had even had in a long time. We went on for hours, pleasured each other like our life depended on it. It wasn't until we were thoroughly spent that Timmie had felt the pain. The pain had kept growing and she had started scream in pain.

I had panicked, thought I had done something and ordered Pam to call Dr. Ludwig immediately. It was then we had learned about the weretiger's strange relationship with their mates. You have one mate that is meant to be your soul mate. Before you meet him or her, you are free to "play" with whoever you want. But after you met your mate you could only have sexual intercourse with that person or you would experience extreme pain.

Dr. Ludwig explained that Timmie had probably already met her mate and was not experiencing the pain that followed after sexual intercourse with the "wrong person". When a weretiger _had_ sex with her mate, they would form a bond similar to a blood bond between vampire and human. They could not be apart from each or they would feel pain, they would get cubs and be a family, the male would have completely control and so on.

I had threatened Dr. Ludwig into give Timmie some painkillers but she had said that Timmie would have to suffer through it alone. After a few hours the pain had died down and she had been so tired she had slept for several days.

I had felt especially guilty and stayed with her the whole time. Luckily for me she had forgiven me, as none of us knew. Since then, Timmie had not been with another man. I had asked her why she didn't want to find her mate but she said she didn't want to be controlled. When she had added "Other than by you" I had almost ravished her again.

Timmie stood from my lap and dragged me with her. "If you are in a hurry, we should get finished" she said and smiled at me.

I nodded and closed my eyes enjoying her hands on my body as she washed me. This was the night I was going to claim Sookie. She would pay for leaving me.

We dried ourselves off and dressed quickly. "Want me to help the search?" Timmie asked as we walked up from the basement.

"It's okay. I will just fly to the airport and check all the hotels again. She will be leaving to Romania in the morning so she will be staying close I presume" I said as I formed the plan in my mind.

Timmie nodded and led the way through the library. The strong smell of paint hit my nose hard and almost knocked me over. Damn vampire sensitivity of smell.

"It was good to see you. Come visit me some time again?" Timmie said stopping before she front doors.

I smiled down at her. "Of course. In the meantime, don't stay a tiger for too long" I said and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled a sad smile but nodded.

Satisfied with that, I used my vampire speed out the doors and took to the air. It was time to find my fairy.

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**Just for the record (again), Eric and Timmie is not together or in love. She is his baby sister, and it is completely natural for them to be naked together, like it is for all the other supernatural being!**

**I have chapter eight finished and beta'd. Is it possible to get a hundred reviews before I post it? I am looking forward to hear what you think about this one. Sookie is still not out of the danger zone! :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I can't wait to hear your respond on this chapter :D Enjoy!**

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts!**

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**S****ookie POV**

Three days later, a large truck came up my driveway with my new furniture. The five men carried everything inside and placed it where I directed. I didn't know where I wanted everything, but I figured I could decide later.

The most important item was the bed. I couldn't wait to get out of the motel I had been staying in and sleep in my new house for the first time.

I hadn't realized how much I actually had bought. When the workers drove off again, I had a house full of furniture. Everything was in old style and matched the house perfectly. I sighed and started to clean. And then put up curtains, put on bed sheets, all the towels, clothes and other stuff that belonged in the closets were put away, and finally I slumped down in _my_ new bed, in _my_ perfect new house.

The only thing I was missing was food. I also needed to go to the motel and get my stuff. After I had picked up my stuff I drove back to Jitters to see Barry over lunch.

"I have a ten minute break" he said as he slumped down in my regular booth with two coffees and two sandwiches.

"Busy today?" I asked taking a sip out of my coffee.

"No, not really but I took a break earlier today as well" he shrugged.

We ate in silence for a while when everyone suddenly stopped talking. A chill went down my back and I almost thought I was back in Merlotte's when a vampire would enter through the door. Turning around I found it was Timmie who had just walked in. Opening my shields I found the regulars thinking the same think about her, as the regular at Merlotte's used to think about me.

_Crazy girl_

_I wouldn't mind tasting a little of that _

_She should be locked up _

_Nice ass _

_Wonder why she is showing herself in public. She should just stay at the library that ugly bitch_

I pushed the thoughts away, feeling suddenly sorry for Timmie. I had always been crazy Sookie in Bon Temps and clearly, Timmie had that role in Sunnew. Her facial expression was blank when she slowly looked at everyone. She looked hungry, like she wanted to eat every single human in the café. When her gaze stopped at me I could see her narrowing her eyes before she walked towards me slowly.

She stopped beside me and Barry's table and I smiled up at her "Hay, Timmie. Want to join us for a quick lunch?" I didn't want to be rude to her, even if she was to me. I felt sorry for her.

She only stood at stared at me for a while before she finally answered. "Gran wants you to work with us" was the only thing she said.

"Oh" I said, smiling. "I would love that! When did she say I could come over?"

Again it took a little while for her to answer. It almost seemed like she needed to think which words to choose before she spoke them. "Tomorrow morning"

I nodded and smiled wide at her. "Please, join us for lunch? I'll treat" I said politely. She didn't say anything but reluctantly sat down beside me.

Her ivory skin looked to soft and perfect. I couldn't help admiring her beauty. Everyone was still quiet and watched as she had sat down. Getting irritated by their behavior I snapped. "Go back to your food people" and everyone started to whisper and turned around to their own plates.

From the corner of my eye I could see Timmie's lips twitch up in a little smile. She turned her head too look at me. "I think I like you" she said randomly. I smiled back a little shocked but didn't say anything.

Barry had gotten up when Timmie sat down, and had now returned with a sandwich and a coffee. Timmie only looked up at him before she leaned down and smelled the sandwich. She sat quickly back with a repulsed expression like the sandwich smelled bad.

"Is it something wrong? I… I c-can get you another one?" Barry stammered nervous. I knew he was afraid or intimidated.

Timmie looked up at him again. "It is fine" she said after a little pause.

"Well. Okay. My break is over, call me over if you need anything" Barry said to me before he rushed off.

I waited a while for Timmie to say anything but it was clearly not going to happen. She didn't make any motion for eating her sandwich or drinking the coffee.

"So, Timmie" I started feeling a little awkward. "Are you done painting all the bookshelves?" I said in hope of starting a conversation.

"Yes" was her only reply.

"Good" I nodded still awkward. "Have you always lived her in Sunnew?" I tried again.

Timmie was sitting still, looking straight forward. She didn't answer my question and it didn't look like she was going too either. I decided not to bother anymore. I could make friends elsewhere if she didn't want to talk with me. I was just about to announce my leave when she turned her head to look at me.

"I used to stay a lot in your house"

"Did you rent it before?" I asked at loss of her meaning.

"I lived there when no one else would" Her expression was calm.

"Why?" I asked confused. From her thought I could only get the same glimpse of words. _Food. Hunt. _

"I like it there" she was staring in to my eyes.

"You could come visit me some time" I offered, not entirely sure what I _was_ offering.

"I like the woods" she said and got a dreamy look in her eyes.

I leaned closed to her and swallowed hard before I whispered "It was you in the woods the other day, wasn't it?"

She looked into my eyes before she answered after a long break. "You are different. I can smell it."

I looked at her, wondering if I she was safe or not to trust my difference with. I knew no one would believe her anyways if she told anyone. But I knew she was different too.

"So are you. I can sense it." I only said back. Her lips twitched into a little smile. I couldn't help but smile back. The nervousness I had felt around her disappeared. She was a little weir, but I kind of liked her.

"Do I have your permission to use your woods around your house?" She asked, her voice full of hope.

"Will it be just you?" I asked curious.

"Yes" She replied without a pause this time.

I nodded. "Will it be a danger to me?"

She met my eyes again but paused before she answered "No"

It didn't really calm my nerves, but she looked serious and that was probably the best insurance I would get. If she tried to do anything towards me, I could just hit her with my light. I wondered what kind of animal she was.

"You have permission to travel in my woods. Can I ask what you will be traveling as?" I was really curious. Would I see a rat or a giraffe? From her mind I picked up stripes, but that quickly disappeared. The little smile came back in her face as her eyes twinkled.

"You will probably see in time" she said and stood from the booth. She was standing still and looked at me. I waited for her to say something when she finally talked. "Thank you for lunch" she said and walked out of the café. Everyone had been quiet again when she had stood up, and now they were staring at me.

_What did they talk about? _

_Is she also a freak, she must be if she hangs out with her_

_I wonder if she likes it rough_

_She probably is just as weird as Timmie_

Again I blocked out everyone thoughts and started to eat Timmie's untouched sandwich. Her coffee was already cold. I reflected over the conversation we had just had. She was so strange, like she strained herself to speak and understand what was spoken to her. But she was different like me, and I was glad I wasn't the only freak in this town. If I could reach into her, make her trust me and I her, I could see a friendship in the future.

Leaving a big tip to Barry I walked outside and got into my car. I drove to the mall where I bought enough food to fill up my entire kitchen before I drove home.

The next day, I couldn't help but smile. If heaven could be described, it would have been my bed. And then, there was the large shower before I made the best breakfast ever and ate at my new table. Everything was so perfect I almost waited for something bad to happen.

At the library Mrs. Figg showed me what I would be doing in my new job. It contained a lot of replacing and finding books, and sitting at the desk to help people out when they came in.

I hadn't seen Timmie anywhere but Mrs. Figg assured me I would see her later. I think she crossed everything she had for me and Timmie to become friends.

I was replacing some books when Timmie appeared at the end of the aisle. "Hello Hannah" She said after a while. I beamed at her, this being the first time she had addressed me by name. "Hello Timmie"

She stood frozen for a while before she slowly decanted towards me. "Do you like the job?" she asked me. I smiled again "I like it very much. I have only worked at a bar and grill before, so I love how peaceful and silent this is. I love the smell of the old books, and your Gran is just fantastic."

She only nodded in reply but I thought I saw a hint of that little smile of hers. She didn't know I meant the "peaceful and silent" so literally though. It was really wonderful to job without the constant rush of thoughts and thinking about keeping the shield up all the time. Except those around Eric's bond, I could relax my brain.

Timmie took the book I held out of my hand and placed it where it belonged. I watched her thinking she was going to say something else. She only took another book out of the pile beside me and found its place in the bookshelf. Grateful for the help I continued to work, now with Timmie's help. When the pile was gone, she turned around and walked away without even saying good bye.

"Thanks for the help" I called after her remembering my manners. She didn't turn around but raised her hand and waved it, letting me know she had heard me. She kind of reminded me a little of Pam with the cold attitude.

**Eric POV**

I was forced to face defeat as I had gone to ground the night before she would be traveling to Romania. The minute the sun had gone down; I took to the sky and flew as fast as I could after her. In Romania I hadn't found her scent at all. It was a large airport and a lot of people so it wasn't that strange. Again, I had used the same tactic as in London. I checked every hotel close by and even the ones further away when I didn't find her.

Frustrated I had glamoured out the information that a "Hannah Davis" had a reservation on a plane to France. I decided to travel ahead of my little fairy, in hopes of catching her scent right after she arrived one hour before nightfall.

When my plan failed again I was close to losing my mind. I didn't know if I should be amused and proud of my lover being so clever, or angry at her for outsmarting me. I was playing with the thought that she maybe had changed her ID again. It really didn't matter if she had or not, because I would catch her scent anyway. The only problem was; I didn't smell her at all, not even a hint of her.

Maybe the other fairies had helped her.

Four days later I found myself in Norway. I loved this country – it brought back lots of memories from my human days and the early newborn days with Godric. I was certain that if Sookie was here I would find her. The airport was surrounded by woods and only a few hotels were close. She needed to travel for one hour if she was planning on staying in Oslo – not likely. Her plane would come in late, which meant I would catch her scent easy and track her from there.

I walked up to a man who sat behind one of the check-in desks. "Tickets and identification please" he said looking at me. I didn't bother to reply and dragged myself into his mind. "Find out if there had been any reservations for Hannah Davis"

His eyes glazed over and he got that faraway look when he replied "okay" and started to do what I had commanded.

"There is one Hannah Davis traveling to America in two days" he said and looked up from his computer.

"Where to, exactly?" I commanded still holding him under glamour.

He typed some more in his computer before answering "Shreveport, Louisiana"

That little minx! I tightened my fists trying to control my temper. "What is her personal number and current address?"

"I don't say" he replied. I wasn't surprised, I had asked the same questions in every airport and no one had the information. Not nearly satisfied I dropped the glamour and speeded out of the airport. Flipping up my phone I called Alcide.

"_Yes?" _

"Wolf, I need you to be at the airport in three days and pick up a package for me" I said forcing my voice to be normal. After thousand years I knew I did it perfectly.

"_What is it?"_ He sounded bored. I knew he hated to work for me, but he owed me and he knew it.

"It is little and blond. Spits and shoot you with lightening if it is angry enough" I smirked.

"_Sookie?" _

"Yes. I want you to pick her up and obtain her until I can get her. She will be arriving in the evening."

"_You mean hold her as a prisoner?" _He growled.

"That depends on how you look at it. Will you do it or do you not want to protect your father?" I hissed getting impatient.

"_Fine! But she won't be pleased and I will tell her you blackmailed me"_ He huffed.

I could live with that. I knew Alcide would do everything I told him to do to protect his own father. Satisfied I hung up when I felt a presence right behind me.

"Sheriff, are you here to expand your area or do you just missed me too much?" she whispered in my ear.

I recognized the voice and turned around. It was indeed the last person I had expected to meet. "Well isn't it little Miss Tora. What a pleasant surprise" I smiled. Godric and I had found Tora as a new vampire after her maker had abandoned her in 1620. We had been traveling from England to America on the Mayflower when we met her.

We had of course taken her with us and taught her everything we knew. I had a dozen of good memories from that time… Her hair was still shining red and her eyes clear green. She looked just as I remembered her, with her childish features but nice forms.

She smiled up at me "What are you doing in Norway? I heard you were a Sheriff now?"

"That is correct" I smirked "I am… looking for someone" I added hesitantly.

"Oh. A lady I presume?" she said knowingly. She knew me all too well.

"As a matter of fact I am. What are you doing here?" I tried to steer the conversation back on her. I didn't need her to think me as weak, losing my pet and all.

"I live here" She said.

We ended up in her place and as always she got me to talk. Even if it was a long time since I'd seen her, I trusted her with my life. So I eventually told her about the first time I had met Sookie and how things had played out with Bill, Russell and the fairies.

"You love her" She didn't ask, it was a statement.

"I don't love" I barked back.

"You had love for Godric, still have. And you love Pam" She pointed out.

"But I don't love Sookie. I want to rip her head out for leaving me" I hissed.

"You are just angry for her being smarter than you" she teased.

"I am not in the mood for your wittiness Tora. I have had a thousand years under my belt, she has twenty four. She can't possibly have more knowledge than I do" I said angry.

"I didn't say she had more knowledge. Maybe it is you who needs an update on the world today. The world changes with time you know, old man" She mocked again

I only glared at her, too depressed to bother. She kind of reminded me of Pam. Or maybe I turned Pam because she reminded me of Tora.

"Eric" she said suddenly serious. "I will help you locate her. I have a day man who can stay at the airport the whole day and report to you."

I nodded in thanks.

"What are you planning to do with your Queen?" She asked after a break of silence.

"She is not going to lay a hand on Sookie. She is m-"

"-mine, I have heard that now. But will she just accept your claim?" she wondered.

"Probably not, but I will take her out if I need to" I sighted.

"You really got it hard for her" She said as a statement again. Oh, If she only knew…

..

Eric registered with annoyance the way he felt inside– he recognized the feeling he so despised… he _missed_ her. The sudden ghost sensations of her warm, wet lips parting under his and her small soft body crushed against his, haunted him. He enjoyed recalling that night in his office – he enjoyed telling himself she _had kissed him back_. And then, she had told him she would be his and "only needed a week to clear her head".

Tora's day man hadn't located her, neither had the security cameras. Tora's words had imprinted itself in his mind. "_You love her"_

He knew she was wrong; he didn't love anyone beside his maker and child. Though, Sookie would be his other child in the future…

A couple of days later, Alcide called and confirmed what he already knew. There was no Sookie arriving in Shreveport that day.

Eric had stayed with Tora the entire time he had been in Norway. She had somehow managed to get through the layer of anger and determination and into the _vulnerable layer_ with _his emotions _as she had called it.

They had hunted and talked together, but each time Eric had come onto her she had denied him.

"You shouldn't do others when you love Sookie. You are betraying not only her, but yourself as well" She had said. Eric had called her bullshit but then she had started with the lectures on "how to treat a woman" so he would know what do to when he got his fairy back.

Eric wasn't very pleased but reluctantly listened. Now, he was depressed. Sookie could be anywhere in the world and it was impossible for him to track her. He wondered if he should go back to London – where he knew she had been. He _had _been in her hotel room and he thought he had smelled her where Timmie lived. But even if he wanted to go back there, he couldn't.

Pam had called about Andre visiting the bar. He needed to go back to his area before the Queen got too suspicious. Bill was probably feeding her lies and suggestions on how to take him down so he could claim Sookie for herself and loan her out to the Queen like a slave or whore.

Assuring Tora he would try to stay in touch, he took a plain back to Shreveport. He didn't like the feeling in his chest. Something inside squeezed tightly each time he thought about his telepath. It reminded him of the haunting feeling he got when Godric left him.

The only thing he could do was to keep looking for clues on where she could be. Maybe he should pay a new visit in Key West. The best chance he had was if Quinn could crack the codes on her bank accounts. Then he would know exactly where she was. He knew it was a long shot but he would never give up his chase. The cat would eventually catch his mouse, he was certain.

* * *

**I just want to defend Eric a little, since most of you have stated that it wouldn't be likely for him to be fooled… BUT, why should he think that she would create a false trace? From his point of view; he is following her scent, and then found out about her new ID and that she have booked flights. He has no other clues and it doesn't make any sense that she would be in the town where Timmie lives. When he thought he smelled her, he was overconfident and brushed it off… The next day it was the strong smell of paint that covered her smell. Ergo; he still thought she was running.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Sookie POV**

The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months. It was winter and I had never EVER been colder. I couldn't walk out the door before my teeth started to chatter.

Timmie had however, thawed up to me. In the beginning I had only saw her now and then in the library and sensed her in my woods. Then, she had started to visit me while I was working more frequently. She had helped me out with placing/labeling books and only replied to my questions with short answers.

You could say I was surprised when she one day started to talk to _me, _asking _me _questions. Her weird behaviour (the hungry staring, only thinking about blood, food and meat) had toned down and she was almost acting like a normal girl.

It had started out as invites, but soon she was practically living in my home. Her eating habits were scary though, and I felt like a mom when I schooled her on eating her vegetables and not only the meat. That was after I got her to quit eating the meat raw.

Then, one day I had been outside walking in the garden I had almost died. I had felt her brain pattern closing in on me from the woods but was not expecting to see a white tiger emerge from it. Not knowing if I should laugh because she was the one the rednecks had seen and the rumors was about or scream and run inside and hide, I was frozen in place.

The tiger had sat down a few meters before me and stared at me. It had her eyes but I had no idea if she was "in there" or not. Her explanation the same night didn't calm me exactly.

"_I am not a human who can shift to a tiger. I am a tiger who can shift to a human" She pointed out. _

_I was still shocked and was trying to calm myself when she clearly was not attempting to help me. "What does that mean?"_

"_It means I don't understand if you talk to me when I am a tiger. I don't think like a human, I think like a tiger. My instinct takes over and I usually just go hunting or sleep" She shrugged. _

"_Hunting?" Suddenly her weird behaviour, eating habits and her thoughts made sense to me. When she has stared at me like I was a meal... I started to panic when she only petted my arm and stood from the sofa saying "don't worry. My tiger looks at you like you are one of her herd. She likes you, I don't think she will eat you" and walked away. _

After that little revelation it took a few weeks before I trusted her again. I was cautious around her when she was a tiger but I quickly grew used to it and started to feel more secure. It definitely beat having a guard dog.

I hadn't thought about Bill or Eric in a long time. I was confident that if they hadn't found me by now, they wouldn't find me at all. I still had a few dreams of Eric and that disturbed me. It wasn't the usual sex dreams I had had after he tricked me into drinking his blood, but he was still the hero in the new ones as well.

It was usually the same dream. In the dreams I was the typical damsel in distress and he would come sweeping in and save the day. The worst part of it was when he had talked softly to me, kissed me gently and made sure I was okay. And I loved him for it.

I was certain he didn't send the dreams to me. Firstly, he couldn't as I had blocked our little bond. Second, if he had been able to send them, it would probably be something more exhausting, so when I woke up I would be all hot and bothered.

I cursed myself for thinking about him. Somewhere in my mind there had been a little voice whispering "you miss him" but I had quickly banished it from my thoughts again.

I was making dinner when a soft silky like fur rubbed up against my leg, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked down to find a pair of large green eyes looking at me.

"If you do not shift back you can find your own meal in the woods" I said in a mother like tone. I knew she couldn't understand me but it felt nice to talk to her anyway. She sat beside me a few minutes more before she soundlessly walked away and up the stairs to the bedroom.

Thirty minutes later, she came back down like Timmie with a frown. "It smells funny" she stated.

"I am making vegetable casserole" I smiled sweetly.

She froze for a second before she glared at me. "You are evil"

I only turned back to the stove and smiled to myself. I bet she hated me right now.

We sat down to eat and Timmie made the usual facial expressions as she always did whenever she ate something not meaty or bloody. But I could tell there was something else that bothered her.

"What's wrong?" I sighted.

She looked at me warily. "My uncle called Gran yesterday. He is only living to make my life miserable."

I frowned. As I had suspected, her uncle was no other than John Quinn. I had met him a few times in the library and had him over for dinner one time together with Mrs. Figg. "What did he say?"

"He has been in contact with Landon apparently" She rolled her eyes. I smiled amused of her reaction before I frowned "Who is Landon?"

"He is a childhood friend and is supposed to be my mate" she said and screwed up her face after taking another spoon of the vegetable casserole.

"Is that so" I said wiggling my eyebrows.

She glared at me and my smile faltered. "So why is that bad?" I asked confused.

She sighted and put down her spoon. "John have always been overly protective if me-"

I snorted

"-he wants me to settle down, mate and get cubs. Be protected by a man." She snarled the last part.

"That doesn't sound too bad" I said.

"Oh, how would you feel is someone tried to push you into marriage and kids?" she said angrily.

I bit my lip. I had no reason to talk… I had after all run off when Eric tried to force me into bonding with him. "I'm sorry. I know how you feel" I said eventually. I had told her about my curse, heritage and my real name but not why I had changed it in the first place. Not about the vampires.

She studied me for a second before she sighed again. "They are coming to the library tomorrow. John said he was looking forward to meet you though."

"Oh… I guess I'll have to invite them over for dinner then." I didn't like Quinn that much. He was too forthcoming and flirty. Then, there was the problem of him knowing about Eric. He had dragged me into a corner and confronted me about it. Luckily for me, he hated vampires and said he wouldn't tell Eric where I was. That was until he demanded that he would get something out of it; me.

I didn't want to be with Quinn but I couldn't risk him telling Eric where I was. Reluctantly I had said yes, I wouldn't deny him as long as we did it on my terms. He was pleased of course but he didn't know I was never going to give him what he wanted.

That is why I invited him each time he was around to dinner; so he would think I kept my part of "the deal". He would always come on to me while he was here, but I denied him every time claiming I wasn't ready.

That was my tactics and so far it had worked. I knew he would lose his patience soon and try to blackmail me into sleeping with him. I was dreading the day, knowing that I would be forced to relocate for my own safety. I didn't want to move again. I loved my home, my work and my new friends.

Timmie didn't know about the secret between me and Quinn but she knew I didn't like him. I wanted to tell her about my situation but I never found the time.

"So have you got any plans for the evening?" She asked me changing the subject.

"Not really" I shrugged.

"Good. You can help me building my cave" she smiled.

"Oh nooo, Timmie, it's so cold" I wined. Ever since it had started snowing she had been dragging me outside. I had never seen so much snow in my life and I had to admit it was beautiful. We had built a snowman, a snow castle, snow lanterns (those were my favorites, so beautiful, easy to build and not exhausting), snow angels and now she had started to make a cave.

"But it is so much fun. We can have a sleepover in it, and you need the exercise" She said pointing at me.

I only glared at her, regretting I asked her to be my personal trainer. "Fine" I huffed and finished eating. One hour later we were outside and shuffling around the snow. It was absolutely exhausting but fun at the same time. Timmie was like a little kid on Christmas, rubbing off the good mood on me.

"You have fur to keep you warm and if you haven't noticed I don't!" I said trying to get her to understand that I didn't need the cold I would get after sleeping in the snow cave.

She stood up and looked at me "I haven't" she teased.

"Timmie, I don't want to" I whined again. "Sookie, can't we just try? If you get too cold we can go inside again. Please?" She pleaded.

I sighed. Her green large eyes looked so hopeful I couldn't say no. "I guess we can try" I said eventually.

The evening came fast and Timmie had rushed in and out of the house, getting blankets, snacks and other things she thought we could use. The cave was finished and I actually was amazed. Besides the cold, it was actually quite comfy.

"Sookie, come on" Timmie said from the tunnel that lead inside the cave. I couldn't help finding myself childish as I smiled and crawled after her and down inside the cave. She had decorated it with candles that lit up everything nicely.

"So, what do you think?" She asked me after a little pause.

"It is really nice" I smiled at her as we tucked ourselves into the blankets.

"I used to do this with my brother when we were little. I had always wanted to do it again, but never found the right person to do it with and I didn't want to do it alone" She said quietly.

"Where is your brother now?" I asked her.

She was quiet for a long time before she sighted. "He was killed in the pits. Never had the same, eh, excitement for fighting as the rest of the family"

"I'm sorry Timmie" I said as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"That is why John is so protective over me" she said, her voice laced in annoyance. I smiled before I thought about myself. "My parents died when I was seven. Drowned in a flashflood."

"I guess we are more alike than I thought. Both of our lives are miserable" Timmie laughed.

"Yeah" I smiled. "And we both are running away from our mates" I sighed.

"You're running away from your mate?" She said and sat up to look at me.

"Yeah, well… He isn't my mate but he thinks he is. He tried to claim me but I ran away before he could do anything" I thought about Eric again. How he had told me he bought my house because he cared about me. Yeah right, cared about my blood, body and curse is more like it.

"Is he a fairy too? I don't want to be with Landon. I am too young to lose my soul" She whispered.

"What are you talking about?" I said abruptly. Lose her soul?

"When you are a weretiger you have one mate as with all the other were-animals out there. But there is a very different bond between tiger mates, it is a bond that is the strongest possible when they mate. The male is always dominant and the female submissive.

After the bond is created there is no going back. The mates can't be without each other. They will be joined together for the rest of their life. It changes them forever. The dominant will have full control, be overly possessive. The relationship will be the most important thing in the female's life. If one dies, so does the other" Timmie said and looked up at me. "If I mate with Landon, I will be his puppet for the rest of his life. I don't want that. I want to be free and live my life as I wish.

Don't get me wrong, Landon is a great guy. If we could just live together and not mate I could probably survive. But the males and their stupid instinct always ruin everything. He would try to claim me as his each full moon. I think I could fight him off, but he is my dominant so I could not be sure."

I didn't know how to reply on what Timmie just had told me. It was scary how I had pictured mine and Eric's bond to be just similar to Timmie's and Landon's mating.

"I wish there was something I could do to help" I said and hugged her. "If it gets bad, we'll run away together."

"No, Sookie. You can't leave your home just because of me. I won't run away from him, I will stay and fight." She said, determinedly. I felt a rush of unease as she said it, feeling weak for running myself. But she had a better chance than I ever did against Eric or any other vampires.

"Quinn knows about the man that is chasing after me" I said slowly, trying not to say too much.

"He does?" Timmie said surprised. I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. "He is trying to blackmail me into being with him" I said raising one eyebrow. "If I don't, he will tell where I am."

Timmie looked at me for a second before she started to laugh. "What? Why are you laughing? This is not funny!" I exclaimed.

"It just" She started, trying to calm down "my uncle is such a stupid bastard" she said before she burst out laughing again.

I looked at her for a minute before I joined in laughing too. After we both had calmed down I got serious again. "I meant what I said Timmie. You are the baby sister I never got and I would be honored to travel with you and find a new place to stay" I smiled at her.

"We don't need to, Sookie. I will take care of John for you and deal with Landon" She said looking up at me.

"Okay" I eventually agreed. "But if things go bad, we leave" I added after a while. She only smiled one of her little smiled before we lay down to sleep. I loved having her close, her body worked as my personal furnace. The candles burned out and soon the cave was completely dark.

I thought about how we were ever going to find a way out of the mess. One thing was sure, I would not let Timmie lose her soul to Landon, and I would not let Quinn tell Eric about me. Clutching my Gran's amulet in my hand I sent a silent prayed above and fell asleep.

**Eric POV**

It had been six fucking months. I was starting to lose my hope of ever getting my lover back. If it hadn't been for her accounts in the tiger's bank I would have guessed she had traveled back to fairy.

The anger I had been taking out on the fangbangers had made Fangtasia crowded, the vampires in my area nervous and Pam happy. Compton had visited frequently, asked about Sookie, claiming I knew where she was and were hiding her from the Queen, only to be dismissed each time. The last time he had been here I had lost my patience and chained him in the basement.

Each time I felt frustrated I had taken it out on him. I had enjoyed it immensely together with Pam, until the Queen had called and demanded he would be set free.

The Queen had been furious after I told her I didn't know where Sookie was and I didn't care. She had sent Andre to go through my bar and safe houses (all she knew about at least) to see if he could smell her. When he couldn't, the Queen had eventually gotten off my back with a warning.

I couldn't care less. My mind was consumed with thoughts of Sookie. I needed her to come back to me. I had stopped feeding and fucking the fangbangers, only drinking the True Blood. The fangbangers couldn't satisfy me anyway and I only craved my Sookie's blood.

"Master" Pam appeared by my side as I sat on my throne.

"What?" I snapped.

She paused for a second as she scanned over the crowd. "I think we should get Timmie here" she said eventually.

I looked up at her. "Why, need new shoes? If you do, you just have to say so Pamela."

She narrowed her eyes at me as her fangs dissented. I knew she hated it when I called her Pamela. "She told you?"

"Yes" I smirked. "And you will get your punishment, don't worry."

She huffed before she quickly used her vampire speed and disappeared into my office. Following after her, I found her logging into my computer.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"I am finding that fucking fairy of yours, so you can start being your-fucking-self again" she barked.

I sighted "Pam-"

"No Eric, you listen. Ever since she ran away you have been acting like a newborn with your emotions everywhere."

I hissed at her for talking to me like I wasn't her maker but she didn't care.

"You haven't lived for a thousand years just to end your life like this, as your child I will not allow it." She stood from my chair and stepped in front of me. I could see bloody tears gathering in her eyes. "Eric, you let the Queen talk you down without even caring. There are rumors about you Eric. They say you are weak and there is only a matter of time before someone tries to take over your position"

I sighted and pulled my child into a hug. "You know I would never let that happen to us Pam."

"Then stop acting like this Eric" She pleaded.

"I will not stop until I find her, Pam" I said irritated.

"Yes, Master" she said and bowed her head. "That is why I was going to locate her for you. Now, get out of your office and entertain your vermin while I find your precious pet for you" Her snarl was back in her voice and the tears were gone.

It wasn't often I saw my child in an emotional state but I was glad she showed her loyalty and care for me. However, it was her cold self I loved the most and didn't say anything when she ordered me out of my own office. Instead, I did as she said and returned to the vermin.

**Sookie POV**

Waking up in a snow cave with a tiger beside me was one of the things I could say with certainty I had never thought I would do. But then again, three years earlier I had never belied in vampires to be real. Now, look at me…

It was Sunday and the library was closed from the public. We were met in the door by Mrs. Figg who was smiling happily at us.

"Timmie, Hannah" she said, beaming extra towards her granddaughter. Timmie had promised not to tell anyone about my secret, even her own Gran. I felt bad for Timmie… Her Gran was probably just as bad as Quinn when it came to finding her mate.

"Hey Gran" Timmie said before she walked inside. "Hello, Mrs. Figg" I said politely.

"John and Landon haven't arrived yet. Are we eating dinner at your place tonight, dear?" She asked as I followed her inside.

"Yes ma'am" I said and smiled. We walked deeper into the library finding the sitting group of couches I had suggested we'd buy when I first got here. When people came to the library they needed a confertable place to sit down and relax with their books of choice.

Mrs. Figg had found my suggestion most pleasing and had me ordering furniture the rest of the day.

We sat down in the couches and waited for the men to arrive. "You look a little pale Hannah. Is something wrong?" Mrs. Figg asked me after a pause. Truthfully I was nervous about meeting Quinn and this Landon. My gut told me there was something wrong about the whole situation but I only smiled and shook my head. "No, everything is fine" I lied.

Timmie eyed me warily but didn't say anything. "Timmie, are you excited to meet Landon again? I can still remember you two playing around in the garden" She said dreamy.

"Sure" was Timmie's only reply. Mrs. Figg glared at her for a second before we heard someone coming towards us.

"Hey babe!" Quinn's voice echoed through the library as he and another man rounded the corner of the last bookshelf. I forced myself not to roll my eyes and stood up to greet him.

"Hello" I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He closed his arms tightly around me and placed a sloppy disgustingly wet kiss on my neck. "Timmie, Gran" he greeted his family with a nod.

Mrs. Figg ignored him but rushed over to the other man behind Quinn. "Landon dear, how good to see you" she exclaimed and pulled him into a hug. "It has been a while" he replied in a manly dark tone and hugged her back with a little less excitement.

"Hannah, this is Landon" Quinn started to explain. "He has been a friend of the family ever since we were kids."

"Nice to meet you, Landon" I said and took the excuse to get out of Quinn's arms to shake London's hand. "Likewise" he replied and pursed his lips slightly.

He turned to the last person in the room that hadn't said a word and smiled. "Timmie, you look more beautiful than I remembered" he said charming and went over to pull her into a hug.

"Landon, how have you been? I've heard you have traveled a lot?" Timmie said, smoothly ignoring his comment.

We all sat down in the couches again. Unfortunately Quinn took his seat between me and Mrs. Figg, while Timmie and Landon sat down in the opposite couch.

"I have been very well" London answered Timmie. "I wanted to see the world and have done so. I especially enjoyed Africa and the wilderness there. Very peaceful, yet never boring."

As we sat silent listening to Landon's tales about his travels I had time to study him more closely. He had been a little taller than Timmie, carrying a wide and muscular chest under the dark blue shirt. His hair was the same black as Timmie's with a little hint of brown. His face looked strong, masculine and I found him to be quite handsome.

He seemed like a perfect match for Timmie if you would only count the looks. They could easily be the King and Queen of the darkness. Both looked like they were pulled right out of a magazine. I opened my mind to him but only found the same brain pattern as Quinn and Timmie had. But what surprised me was something I never had felt before.

Both Timmie's and Landon's brain was pulling towards each other. I could only describe it as strings I could sense that was flaring between them, trying to pull them together mentally. I shuddered and closed off my brain again and tried to pay attention to the conversation.

"I think Timmie would have loved to travel like you do, dear. She is wasting away in this little town." Mrs. Figg sighed.

"Gran, I am not wasting away. I am helping you out in the library." she argued. I looked at her with pity.

"And, she helps me out as well." I chimed in and got a little smile from Timmie as thanks. "We have actually talked about going on a vacation soon. Of course we wouldn't go without your blessing, Mrs. Figg." I smiled my charming smile at Mrs. Figg.

From the crook of my eye I could see Timmie eying me carefully. I didn't mean what we had talked about; running away, but actually going on a vacation together. Get some new air.

"Where had you planned on going?" Quinn asked me warily. I smiled at him sweetly before Timmie spoke before I could.

"We were going to Ireland." she quickly said. "We planned to stay in dad's old castle for about a week, maybe two."

I looked at her confused.

"Oh, well…" Mrs. Figg said before pausing, lost for words. "Why this sudden decision?"

"Oh, it wasn't sudden Mrs. Figg" I smiled reassuringly. "We have been talking about if for a while now, and just haven't been able to ask you if it was okay if we took off for a few days"

"Are you going alone?" Quinn asked, clearly not liking our leaving.

"Yes John, we are, and I know what you are going to say" Timmie snapped at her nephew. "We can handle ourselves just fine. If anything decides to bother us, you know I can handle them."

"I don't like this" Landon said in a worried voice. I could see his pupils dialed from where I sat as he stared at Timmie.

"I am with Landon with this one, dear" Mrs. Figg addressed her granddaughter. "If you are going on this trip you should have someone with you to protect you." She held up her hand to silence Timmie when she started to protest. "I know you Timmie dear, I know what you are capable of. However, it would calm my old soul if you didn't travel alone. Maybe John and Landon here could accompany you. You could catch up and have a really good time together I imagine."

I groaned internally, this wasn't going as we had planned. Or not planned, but this wasn't good.

"Gran, we wanted this to be a girl trip" Timmie pleaded. If Mrs. Figg was anything like my Gran (as she seemed like the most of the time) I knew she would have the final word in this.

"I would love to accompany you on a trip, Timmie" Landon smiled to Mrs. Figg. "Yeah, I think we could have a _really good_ time together, babe?" Quinn said and placed his large arm around my small body smirking at me.

Again I forced myself not to roll my eyes when I decided not to reply. "Fine" Timmie said eventually, surprising me. I was sure our "fake trip" would have been cancelled. I looked at her and she smiled at me "Some male company to our trip would be all that bad, right Hannah?"

I frowned at her for a second before I played along. "Not at all."

"Good, then it's settled. You can leave anytime you want, I will have Barry helping me out." Mrs. Figg beamed, pleased with the new turn in events. After we had painted and redecorated the library there had been more people coming in to borrow books or just stay for a few hours to read. Mrs. Figg had been forced to take in more people and I had recommended Barry who was excited to get another job.

Timmie stood from the couch and I mirrored her. "Shall we leave then? I am starving" Timmie said and started to walk away. I caught up quickly with her and whispered "What are we going to do now?"

"Don't worry, I think I have a plan" she whispered back.

"Think?" I couldn't imagine how this was going to turn out well for neither of us. There was not only the problem with Timmie and Landon. But staying a week with Quinn… I started to feel dread seeping into my bones. This was not going to turn out well…

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**I am still ahead with the chapters, only waiting to get them back from my beta so I can post them. Please review and give me your thoughts and theories about the story and fuel my motivation to write more! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Btw, Nora doesn't exist in this story! Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! **

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**Sookie POV**

I don't know how she did it, but Timmie had convinced Mrs. Figg that we should eat dinner at Jitters tonight. Barry was working and he smiled when we came through the door.

"Is it cold outside?" He teased me. I only glared back at him. He knew I hated the cold that followed the snow. Quinn growled behind me when Barry took my arm and led me to a table. "Here you are, Miss" He said in a _very_ old fashioned waiter voice.

I giggled and thanked him before he handed us the menus. Even though Timmie smiled and thanked him, he still was nervous around her.

"This was nice" Mrs. Figg commented after we had finished eating the meal. Nice wasn't exactly the word I would use to describe it. Quinn had been stroking my thigh as long as Landon had been staring possessively and hungrily at Timmie who had ignored him completely through the whole dinner.

Quinn hadn't stepped over "the line" but I didn't feel comfortable when he was touching me at all. But I sucked it up and tolerated it for my own sake. He couldn't advance on my any further anyway while we were in public, so I let him live in his little bubble where I was in love with him and only needed a little time before he could fuck me like he wanted to.

"I think we should head home now" Timmie said and looked at me. I nodded gratefully and picked up my wallet. "No worries babe, I will take care of the bill" Quinn said with a confident smirk. God, he annoyed me.

"Okay, if you say so" I smiled sweetly and stood up. "Hannah and I will discuss the travel arrangements and let you know when we will leave" Timmie said and stood as well.

Mrs. Figg nodded and bid us a good night. "Good night" I said and smiled before I bent down and gave Quinn a quick peck on the cheek. "Night" Timmie said and only waved at London and her Gran.

"Night, Barry" I winked at him as we passed him on the way out. He waved back before he turned back to his customers.

"So" I said as we buckled up in my car. "What's the plan?"

Timmie started at me for a second with a thoughtful look in her face. "Well," she started. "Why did you say we planned on going on a vacation?" she asked, instead of answering me.

"I thought it was a good idea" I said defending myself "and besides, I really think we need a vacation to someplace warm. And it was perfect timing with Landon being here. A good excuse to get away from him _and _Quinn for a while" I shrugged.

"So what's the deal about your father?" I asked, still confused about that part.

"He died when protecting my mom from the same rapists who attacked my aunt. He was indeed mad, but had places all over the world. The castle in Ireland was built by an old King or something for his wife. It was later used as a fortress. My dad apparently liked the place as it had lots of secret tunnels and is surrounded by woods. He used to go there every once in a while when he needed a break from reality and to calm down the madness in his mind. Or so I have been told." She explained.

We fell into our own silent thoughts when she didn't elaborate any more. Timmie had gone through a lot in her short life; her mom dying by the hands of rapists when she was a little girl, and father taking his own life in madness.

When I was safe at home I steered my thoughts back to the problem at hand. "So, now are we going to spend a week alone with no other than Landon and Quinn? I hope you have a solid plan here Timmie, because this really screams disaster" I said pacing back and forth.

"I am going to confront Landon" She said slowly. "I will tell him I won't mate with him."

"Did you notice how he looked at you? He would never accept that." I couldn't help being nervous.

"If he doesn't, then I will make sure he knows I mean business. If he still won't accept my decision I will simply take him out" she said simply.

I didn't doubt Timmie for a second, but she had told me herself that the mate males were usually stronger than the females and she didn't know if she could take him out or not. Instead of feeding her with my doubt, I asked more questions instead.

"How does Quinn fit into all of this?"

"He will be a problem. He wants me to mate with Landon" She said biting her lower lip. I narrowed my eyes at her. If she thought I would just sit around and wait for her to face her mate alone, and then distract her uncle she thought wrong.

"I won't leave you to fight Landon alone if it comes to that solution Timmie. And I won't give Quinn what he wants from me even for all the money in the world. If you leave me alone with him, I know he will try something" I said sighing.

"I know, Sookie. I won't let him do anything to you. We'll just come up with a reason as to why you can't _do_ things with him" she said and pulled me down in the couch with her. "As for Landon, I can't risk you being hurt, you will not be around if there will be a fight."

I stared into her green eyes, seeing the determination clearly. "Sookie, you don't have to worry about me. I can fight him off." She smiled then and pulled me into a hug.

I hugged her back, before I mumbled something about a bath and extracted myself from her embrace. Climbing up the stairs I entered my bedroom and then the bathroom.

I filled the large tub with steaming hot water and vanilla oil before I slowly entered heaven. Sighing I finally relaxed. It had been a tense day with all the emotions and tension between everyone. I couldn't help to wonder if _my_ Gran had encouraged me the same way Mrs. Figg did with Timmie to bond with her mate.

Gran had always wanted me to find a man, but would she had pushed me into a bond with Eric if she had been here? He wasn't my mate but he would provide the same protection, control me, owning me like a mate would, if he had gotten his will.

No, I didn't believe she would. She would tell me to follow my heart and then support my decision whatever it would have been.

Again I pitied Timmie. But I knew that the weres had a completely different aspect on life than what a human had, or vampires for that matter. Vampires could claim whoever they wanted for themselves as they were "superior" species. Were-animals would mate when they found their mate because that was the right thing to do. It was just how natured worked.

I finished soaking in the tub and dressed in my pajamas. I called Sam and Jason to say hello and tell them I was doing fine before I went to bed. Each time I called them I thought about calling Shane. And each time I decided not to. I wondered if I would ever see him again.

But I couldn't risk it in case Eric knew about him or held him captive. I was not worried about Jason because he was so stupid he didn't even think about me being gone. And Sam had assured me he could take care of himself and that Eric wouldn't let Pam near him again.

Again I sent a prayer to whoever was listening about me and Timmie getting out of this mess with the were-tigers alive and for Eric never to find me before I fell asleep.

**Eric POV**

Pam had taken it upon herself on bringing my fairy back. I was pleased with her enthusiasm but didn't think she would find anything I didn't know already.

I had called Quinn every night about the progress on the bank accounts, but to my irritation he gave me bad news every time. _"No, my hackers haven't succeeded yet Northman. I will call you immediately when he does" _

I had traveled to the Keys and visited the surf boy again and had found his friend who had fixed the new ID for Sookie. Sadly that was all he knew, so he didn't help me any further in my chase.

I was currently drinking a True Blood in my home thinking of where I could have gone wrong in the chase. I wanted to go back to London where I had picked up her trace last in the hotel room. But that had surely been used since then, and her smell would have faded away by now.

Pam disturbed my musings when she came in through the doors and strolled into the room. Always a grand entrance… I looked up at her but only sighed when there was no sign of new information in her eyes.

"I hate that fucking fairy so much" she snarled at last. I smirked amused. Pam was not used to being outsmarted. I however had time to process the humiliating feeling, when she just realized Sookie was completely gone from the radar.

"What did she tell you again Eric? Maybe there is something we are missing?" She sighed and grabbed the Blood out of my hands and downed it before grimacing at the taste.

"We haven't missed anything Pam" I said angrily.

"I pulled the security cameras from the airports in Romania, France and Norway. There is one woman with a hat that is difficult to identify because of the camera angles in both the films from Romania and France. It could be her." Pam said pacing back and forth. "But there are no sign of Sookie or similar to her in Norway."

I already knew this of course. I hadn't picked up her scent in either of the airports in France or Romania. That could be explained by her short appearance and the many humans traveling through the airport every hour. Her scent would have faded away.

I was certain she hadn't arrived in Norway as she had planned. Had she fooled me the whole time, or had she maybe discovered me somehow and fled in another direction. Somehow, I doubted it. Something didn't feel right.

"So are you sure it wasn't her scent you picked up at this library?" Pam sighed again.

"I don't know Pam. I would travel back to check, but I can't do that when the Queen is keeping an eye on me. Besides her scent would have been erased by now." I stood and snarled irritatedly. Say one word too much, and I would snap. Pam knew I was on the edge of losing control over my inner beast and did everything she could to protect me.

"Timmie lived there? Them Mrs. Figg is there to, I suppose?" She said suddenly rigid.

"I suppose" I said defeated and slumped down in my seat again.

Pam disappeared at vampire speed and returned with her phone talking to someone. I recognized the voice as Timmie's Gran.

"-And you are positive she is fairy?" Pam said excided into the phone. I listened closely to their conversation. Mrs. Figg, who was also Doctor Ludwig's sister sounded more old and fragile than I ever remembered.

"_Yes, Pamela. The girl is a fairy. I can sense something more but I am not sure what it is. She is a wonderful girl though, Timmie really likes her." _She said.

"How does she look?" Pam asked again while I paid close attention.

"_Well, she is a real beauty of course. She has gotten Timmie to go back being more human. What I have tried since she came back from your care five years ago, she managed to do in six months." _Mrs. Figg's voice was oozing with happiness over her granddaughter.

That had to be Sookie, I was sure. I stood up from my chair again, feeling the "life" return to my body.

"Mrs. Figg, is her name Hannah Davis?" Pam asked with a fangy smile at me.

"_Why yes, dear. Why, is something wrong?"_ She said sounding worried all of a sudden. I was almost jumping with joy. How much of a coincidence that was, _my_ Timmie and _my_ Sookie becoming friends.

"No, no Mrs. Figg, nothing is wrong. I was just wondering. I want this conversation to stay between us. I believe Eric is coming to visit your Grandchild in the near feature, just so you know." Pam said, heavy with the charm.

"_Of course, dear. I think Timmie will be pleased to see Eric again" _She said lovingly. Pam finished the phone call and I drew her in and kissed her in the cheek.

"Can I get a new pair of shoes now?" She said in a bored tone. I knew she was as happy as I was, even if she played it cool. Though I was happy to get my pet back, she was happy that I would return to normal.

"You can get any shoes you want." I said and kissed her temple before I rushed out of the room. "You know where I will be. If the Queen calls, tell her I am on Sherriff business." I ordered as I used my vampire speed to go out of the house and leap into the sky towards the airport.

I ordered every seat that was available on a plane making it "private" before ordering that it would take me to London. If I left now, I would be in London a few hours before sundown. There was nothing I could do about it but it still irritated me.

I couldn't wait to close my arms around my little minx. I was both proud and furious the same time. I was most furious at myself. If I hadn't been so sloppy in my search when I had been there, I could have had her months ago. But I had been distracted by my need to see Timmie again.

I was proud of my Sookie for holding out so long. Luring a thousand year old vampire in a false trail was not something that happened every day, or ever. But she had fooled me. For that, she would pay.

I wondered if Timmie knew. I hoped she didn't. For her own sake. Betraying me was not something she wanted to be doing and I didn't believe she would either. But you'll never know.

I sent Tora a message telling her I knew where my pet was, and was retrieving her as we spoke. Tora had been clear that I should keep her updated and wanted to know everything about the Pet that managed to over smart the great Eric Northman.

On the plane my thoughts drifted back to my fairy. How was I going to punish her? I felt the pull of the sun and died with a smile on my face.

**Sookie POV**

We decided to leave the next day, just to get it over with. Timmie had ordered me to pack all the warm clothes I had, along with some food. She would take care of the rest, whatever that was.

We met up with Landon and Quinn, but decided to drive two cars. I didn't want to spend more time with them than I absolutely had to. The drive was long, and since Timmie hadn't really been into driving I had to drive the whole way.

It took us five hours to get to a port where we would take a ferry. The ferry was nice enough and we bought lunch in the little food stall. Quinn was always resting his big forearm across my shoulder while Landon kept his eyes on Timmie.

"This was a great idea, babe. If you had told me I would have taken you on a vacation sooner." Quinn said proudly. "Just the two of us" he added in a whisper so only I could hear.

"Oh" I only said feeling creeped out.

"Do you have anything planned for the week?" Landon asked Timmie. She looked at me, and I decided to answer for her. "We had only planned doing girly stuff. You know, painting nails, braiding hair, experimenting with make-up… You are welcome to join us if you'd like" I smiled sweetly at him.

Timmie snorted and tried to hide her smile behind her hand. Landon only glared at me before he turned his attention back to Timmie. "I hope you will be available for some good old fashion running, though?" Landon tried again.

Timmie looked at him and you could see the electricity between them when their eyes met. "I'm sorry. Sook- eh, Hannah isn't a were and I doubt she will be setting a foot outside with the heavy snow. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her alone while we were out running." She smiled sweetly.

Now it was my turn to snort and hide my smile. Landon clenched his jaw in irritation glaring at me again before looking at Quinn. "That won't be a problem. I bet John here wouldn't mind staying with Hannah while we run for a while" He said smug.

"You would bet right. Some alone time with my girl I don't mind" Quinn said squeezing me into his large body. I didn't know what to say and neither did Timmie apparently. We only changed looks before we kept quiet.

Two hours later we were back in the cars and driving off the ferry. I was glad we could part with the men for a while and hoped we would be driving for a long time.

"If Landon invites me for a run, we only find some lame excuse like having our nails pained or something. Or I'll just tell him I am tired and don't want to run." Timmie said calming me down.

I had begun panicking slightly again. Our plan wasn't exactly solid (if you could even call it a plan) out thought through and there were so many things that could go wrong. Timmie however seemed (apart from a little annoyed about our company) confident.

"I have arranged for us to sleep in the south tower and the men in the north. They are furthest apart. Our wing has many secret passages. I will show you where they are in case you'll ever need to get away fast" she said calmly.

I looked over her slightly nervously. She meant if things didn't work out in our favor. If Landon claimed her I knew I was easy prey for Quinn. I swallowed hard but didn't say anything as I drove further into the forest.

There was more snow here, than it was in Sunnew and I felt my heart sink down in my stomach. I had pictured myself lying at a beach somewhere, but here I was on my vacation, with only more snow and colder climate.

It took three more hours before we came to a clearing in the forest as I discovered was the gate to the driveway. Timmie jumped out of the car and opened the tall gate for me and the men before she got back in the car.

I was catching ice flies as the castle came into view. It was huge and from the looks of it, not used in a few decades. It could have been pulled right out of a horror movie. "We're here!" Timmie stated the obvious, excitedly.

I took in a deep breath before I exhaled and got out of the car. I brought in our belongings while Timmie explained the sleeping arrangements. I could hear the men weren't pleased, but Timmie reminded them that they were on _our _trip and _we_ decided the rules.

Reluctantly they agreed and we had decided to meet up for dinner later on. The castle was freezing cold and I was warily aware of the dust and spider webs all over.

Timmie rushed me up the hundreds of stairs towards the south tower. When we _finally _reached our room I was sweating like a pig. "You'll get used to it." Timmie laughed and fired up the fireplace.

"I doubt it" I said back, before I started to unpack. When I lifted Timmie's bag I was surprised to find it was unbelievably heavy. "What have you been taking with you that are so darn heavy?" Okay, so I was a little grumpy, sue me. It was cold, I was tired, hungry and hadn't had coffee in a _really _long time.

"I brought some weapons for you to use." She said, still lighting the fire. "What?" I snapped not sure if I heard her right.

Timmie stood up and came to the bed beside me and opened the bag. Inside was a numerous of weapons. "You know how to shoot, right?" she asked me.

"Well… Yes" I said a little overwhelmed. Jason had thought me how to fire a gun when I was smaller but I never thought I would actually have good use of it. Clutching my Gran's medallion I sent a prayer hoping I never would either.

"Good" Timmie said and started to pack out her clothes as well. "We'll just eat dinner and tell them we are tired after the long drive and head up here again. Agree?"

"Absolutely! That wouldn't even be a lie" I nodded.

One hour later I was all sweaty and breathing heavily after climbing all the stairs up to our room. Timmie however looked like she hadn't even lifted a finger. "Look at it on the positive side; it is great exercise" she giggled.

We placed new sheets and covers before we fell into bed. "Mind if I shift? I will be more sensitive to sounds if the Quinn or Landon tries anything" Timmie asked me. I didn't like sleeping with a tiger by my side, but when she put it that way, I was more than happy. I smiled and nodded a "yes".

I looked at her when she started to transform, but quickly looked away. I wondered if it hurt. A few seconds later I had a full grown, white tiger by my side. It rolled over with its back against me and I snuggled up against it.

Her fur was so soft and silky. In her tiger form, Timmie was actually longer than me I noticed. Fascinating! I started to stroke her fur and she erupted in deep purring sounds. Even if my head was spinning with the possible outcomes for this week I quickly fall asleep, feeling totally safe with the tiger beside me.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Sookie POV**

The next day, we decided to eat our breakfast in the Great Hall. It was enormous. There were pictures of old men in uniforms on the walls, heavy red curtains hiding the windows and a dark carpet on the floor. The table we used could probably host twenty people easily. Timmie had claimed the end seat and I sat to her left.

When Landon and Quinn had joined us, Quinn had sat beside me, and Landon on Timmie's right.

"Morning babe, Timmie" Quinn said and kissed my cheek. I really hated him when he did that. "So what are the plans for today?"

"I am giving Hannah a tour around the castle" Timmie smiled. Landon nodded in approval. "Mind if I join you?" he asked her.

Timmie didn't look pleased but nodded eventually. "How about we all go hunting for dinner today?" Landon said excitedly. "It definitely is a long time since we hunted together" Quinn smiled beside me.

"You two can do that. I won't leave Hannah alone in here" Timmie said eying Quinn critically.

"Right... I always forget you aren't a were" Quinn said, disappointed. I almost felt offended and uncomfortable getting in their way of fun. Instead of saying anything I only smiled and continued to eat my breakfast.

"You two can go anyways" Timmie said and pointed at them. "Hannah is going to show me how to make healthy human food today. I bet you wouldn't like it if I paid you to."

I tried not to smile when Quinn shifted beside me and Landon sent me _again _a glare. If I didn't know better, he was having a hard time liking me.

"Fine" he huffed. "But we will be together later" he practically ordered Timmie which only shrugged an "okay" in return.

Through the guided tour, Timmie told me more about the castles' ancient history. Landon was always four steps behind us and I could feel his eyes burning my back. I felt extremely uncomfortable knowing he was there. I almost expected to feel his hand around my neck breaking it at any time. Quinn had gone outside to shovel some snow off our cars so they wouldn't be buried by the heavy snowfall.

"And this-" Timmie opened a door close to our sleeping chamber. "-is the small library. The castle has a main library but this one is only meant for those who are staying in this wing" She led us further into the room before she stopped before a picture of a field. "'I have always loved that picture" she glanced at me. "I always think about what would be at the other side. I don't know why, but I always get a little hungry while staring at it."

"You are an odd creature, Tim" Landon chuckled and draped an arm around Timmie. She smiled at him before she showed us out of the room again. After touring the south wing, we started on the north wing.

"This is the boy's chamber; we don't need to go inside. It is just like ours" She smiled at me and tapped the door. "This, however," she said rushing over to a large window "we don't have. A view of the forest."

As far as the eye could see, there were trees. They were gleaming like glitter in the early sun and I gasped at the beauty. "I know, right?" Timmie said dreamily. "I love to just run as fast as I can. No one to tell me to stop or where to turn… Being completely free and careless."

"I know exactly what you mean. Or, you know, to be free" I agreed forgetting about Landon before he spoke up. "Wouldn't it have been nice to have someone to run with you?" He whispered and wrapped his arms around Timmie from behind.

"No" I answered for her. "That's the point of running alone. You don't need to care about someone else. You just have yourself to take care of, make your _own_ choices without bothering about a second part." I finally dropped my mask for a second and glared back at him. He eyed me curiously, but I could see the darkness lurking behind his eyes.

"It would have been nice to have someone to run with" Timmie said surprising me. Landon smirked and tightened his grip around her. "But only temporarily, like a friend who would come and visit but nothing more" Timmie continued and his smirk hardened into a frown.

I smiled at her understanding. We kept going through the castle only to stop at the stair down in the "dungeons" as Timmie called it.

"We don't have to go down there for my sake" I said to Timmie nervously.

"What's the matter babe? Scared?" Quinn's voice echoed behind us as he came into the hall. He was wearing a little smirk.

"No" I said lying.

"No matter, I want to show you something." He said and had grabbed my arm and started to drag me away before I could even start to protest. I looked helplessly back to Timmie who only shrugged her shoulders.

Quinn dragged me into the kitchen with a tight grip on my arm. "What are you going to show me?" I said skeptically. I was right to be skeptical about the situation when he pulled me into his body and covered his lips with mine.

I held the kiss for a few seconds, but when I felt his tongue on my lips trying to enter my mouth I pulled back. "Quinn, what are you doing?" I asked him.

"Just wanted some alone time with my girl. Hannah, I know you wanted to take it slow but I think we have been slow enough. How about we speed things up?" he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Oh. I don't know, Quinn. I don't think I am ready yet" I said looking down to hide my eyes from his while lying. I didn't like to lie, but I knew I was good at it. I had fooled the great Eric Northman, and that alone was saying enough.

"Babe, you have been saying that for the last few months now. I have hardly gotten a proper kiss out of you" he said, and I could hear how annoyed he was.

"I know. I am sorry" I lied again. "Can't we just be together this week and let things develop by themselves?" I suggested. I of course would not let him near me like that.

Quinn studied me for a second before he shrugged, not really answering my question. "You need to put in a good word for Landon when you and Tim do that "girlything" of yours…" he ordered, changing the subject.

"Why?" I frowned. "Has Timmie told you anything about mates?" Quinn asked. I shook my head, praying to Gran that she would forgive me for all the lies I was telling.

"Mates are when two people are meant to be together, like soulmates. They belong together like the stripes belong on a tiger. Landon is Timmie's mate. They need to be together." He explained.

It didn't surprise me when he didn't explain any further. "I don't think Timmie is Landon's mate, Quinn" I sighed and massaged my temples. How I was going to explain that Timmie didn't want to be anyone's mate without revealing I knew too much was going to be a challenge.

"I know she feels the pull, Hannah. You just need to push her in the right direction" he chased me still further.

"I don't want to push her into something that she doesn't want. And why don't _you_ talk to her?" I defended. "Because she likes you, values your opinion" he sighed.

"For the record Quinn, my opinion of Landon is not something you want me to share with Timmie" I said. "Why is it such a rush for them to be together?" I asked suspicious.

"It's not" Quinn shrugged. You could smell the lie, and I opened my mind to try to read him. There was only blurring and nothing I could grab on to, before an image of an angry Eric appeared in his mind. I frowned, not knowing what Eric had to do with all of this.

"Okay" I said eventually. "Even if I don't like it, I will talk to her about it. For you" I said and smiled a sweet smile, luring him further into the idea of me wanting him.

"Thanks babe" he said and bent down to kiss me. I turned my head so his lips found my cheek and smiled innocently when he pulled back. I could see he tried to hide his annoyance with me and almost started to laugh. Instead I felt my stomach growling. "Shall we go and prepare lunch?" I suggested.

..

Quinn and I sat in the great hall eating the lunch we had prepared for the four of us. Where Timmie and Landon were, we had no idea. I started to feel slightly worried when the door opened and both of them entered the room stark naked.

I choked my food and couched hard to get in up again. "Is everything alright?" Timmie asked casually when she came closer to the table. I only stared at her in disbelief and followed her with my eyes as she sat down beside me.

"We just went for a run in the forest" The naked and very erect Landon said to Quinn before his eyes glued themselves back to Timmie hungrily. Quinn looked like nothing was wrong with the new scene, but I was blushing madly and had definitely lost my appetite.

"What's wrong?" Timmie asked once she noticed my discomfort. "Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about the rules" she said suddenly. "No walking around naked, especially when we are eating." Timmie explained to the men in front of us. It was one on the many rules I had to make after Timmie had practically moved in with me.

I knew most supes didn't have the same modesty and morals as humans did, but I was more human than anything and was not comfortable with nakedness.

The look I got from Landon was murderous but Quinn only looked amused.

"Don't worry about it" I mumbled and stood up. "I am finished anyway. I'll head up to the library and wait for you to come up. With clothes on." I addressed Timmie before I turned around and rushed out in the hallway.

I breathed heavily, embarrassed and still a little shocked while I tried to smack the picture out of my head. When it didn't go away I started to walk up the long stone staircases that led up to the little library in our tower as I called it.

Inside, I walked around and looked at the books. I was surprised when I found a section with books about different supernatural creatures and witchcraft. I tried to find something about fairies but was disappointed when none in the books that were dedicated to them.

I was standing, staring at the picture Timmie had commented on when I heard someone walk into the room. "It has a secret path behind it which leads down to the kitchen. I tried to hint it to you earlier today." Timmie said behind me.

I turned around slowly but sighed in relief when I saw that she had clothes on. "Sorry" She smiled. "I usually don't forget rules that easily."

"It's okay" I said. Turning back to the picture I continued to study it. "I kind of figured it was something special about it by the way you looked at me

"We can use the patch down to the kitchen later when you are going to teach me how to cook healthy food" She said. I snorted knowing "teaching her" would only contain me making food while she sat at the table complaining about the smell and how it was not meaty or bloody enough.

"So what happened after Quinn dragged me away?" I asked curious.

Timmie sighed and slumped down in one of the couches. "Landon just tried to talk about how much fun we had when we were little."

"That wasn't so bad?" I smiled. "Yeah... That was before he started to speak of the pull, and if I noticed it too. I denied it of course" she said irritably. "When he didn't stop nagging about it I suggested we should take a run."

"Quinn asked me to try and convince you to give him a chance." I chuckled. "He explained how mates are like soulmates, meant to be together and blah blah…"

"Yeah, I thought he would. He didn't do anything else though?" She asked concerned.

"I took care of it. I think he is starting to lose his patience though" I said.

Timmie nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Timmie… I don't really like being here. It is a wonderful place, but it is cold and I have a really bad feeling about both Quinn and Landon." I bit my lip nervously. I was starting to wonder if we should just go home.

"I know" Timmie nodded. "I will talk with Quinn after dinner and tell him to stop pushing Landon onto me. If we can get him on our side, maybe Landon will back off more easily."

"I don't really think that is ever going to happen, but it is worth a shot." I agreed. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I think it is best if I talk to him alone" Timmie said slowly. I could tell that she was nervous as well, but didn't say anything.

…

The men were still out hunting when Timmie and I finished our dinner. Timmie had said she would wait in the library for Quinn to show up and I was dying to take a hot bath to get some warmth into my body. The tub was large and I had a little trouble finding out how to get it filled because it was so old. When the water had finally started to run I had to wait a half lifetime for it to get hot enough.

When everything was ready, I slipped into the tub and felt the warm water start to work on my tense body immediately. I had brought some bath oil with vanilla scent from home so I was thoroughly enjoying my little spa treatment.

When I was finished I dressed quickly before I started on the long way downstairs to the "common area" of the castle. I guess I had been using more time that I thought I would. When I walked down a corridor and glanced out the window, it was almost dark outside.

I continued down the corridor when and suddenly I got an uneasy feeling. The shadows of the statues placed along the walls flickered with the dim lightening. Her footsteps echoed through the hallways, making them seem even emptier than it really was. It was too quiet.

I froze on the steps when a shadow appeared before her a few meters ahead. When I looked closer, I recognized the dark hair and strong jaw. Landon started slowly walking towards her.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Sookie smiled, hiding the fear that was rising.

He stopped when he was right before her and narrowed his eyes. "You better stop putting Timmie against me" he said threatening.

"I.. I'm not" Sookie stammered.

"I see," Landon said and took one step closer "You're lying."

"I am not!" Sookie said, offended.

"You are very accustomed to hiding the truth, aren't you, Hannah?" Landon ignored her, eyes raking over her face.

"I have nothing to hide" Did he know anything? Had Quinn told him about Eric? Sookie felt her heart hammer painfully against her ribs, certain of that Landon probably could hear it.

"No? So Eric Northman doesn't sound familiar to you? Quinn told me you were his pet. Just think about it, one call and you would be out of my way for good." He smiled a dark smile.

Sookie felt her fingers start to tingle and willed herself to be calm. She needed to show him that what he said didn't affect her. "I am not afraid of Eric. And I will never let you have Timmie!" Sookie said dead serious staring him in the eye.

A flash of rage filled his face before his hand was around her neck and she was pushed into a wall. Sookie immediately regretted what she had said, what if he was going to kill her?

"I am going to have Timmie as my mate before this week is over. If you try to stop me, I will not care how much Quinn wants to fuck the great Eric Northman's pet. I will kill you, and it will not be pleasant" He snarled, eyes changing into a darker colour.

The tight grip around Sookie's throat made her head spins of lack of oxygen. She was staring to sweat and felt the panic rise and her fingers tingle. She didn't believe he was going to kill her now, and decided to reply with a little threat herself. The power was surging through her body before she let go and send a spark of lightening right in London's chest.

He went flying through the air and crashed into a statue on the other side of the hallway. Sookie still felt dizzy and gasped to get fresh air down in her lungs. Landon lay in a heap on the floor, not moving at all. Sookie didn't believe he was dead but just unconscious. Before she could find out, she rushed down the corridor away from him. She needed to find Timmie fast.

…

When I reached the common area it was not hard to find out where Timmie was. High, angry voices were shouting from the inside of the library. When I opened the door, I found Timmie and Quinn in what seemed like a heated argument.

"You can't control my life like that. I can take care of myself!" Timmie shouted to Quinn.

Quinn only growled in return. "It is your duty as a mate, and Landon has a right to claim you as his!"

They both were breathing heavily but stopped shouting at each other when I opened the door widely. Timmie had tears in her eyes and a red mark across her cheek. I gasped and rushed over to examine her. "Quinn, did you hit her?" I exclaimed.

"Don't try to understand our ways to communicate" he snarled, still angry. "So hitting your cousin is all right for you, just like that?" I said angry. "She needs discipline. You have planted all sorts of thoughts of freedom and doing what is not in her nature in her little pretty head" He replied taking a step towards us.

With his massive body he was nothing but intimidating. "What is that supposed to mean?" I said angrily knowing he had told Landon about me being Eric's pet, he probably meant I should have stayed with Eric as his slave as it was "my duty" and Eric's right to keep me. Fucking Eric!

"It's alright, Hannah. I let Quinn hit me" Timmie said to calm me down. Just that moment, Landon decided to walk through the doors. He was limping and had a nasty cut on the side of his head and a few bruises.

"What the fuck has happened to you?" Quinn shouted.

I bit my lip, certain that hell would brake lose any minute now. "That fucking _madras_ of yours is not human!" Landon hissed and pointed at me.

"What do you mean?" Quinn said confused and looked between the two of us.

"I was only talking to her when her fingers sparkled and she shot me with a light across the hallway we were standing in!" he said while walking closer to us. Timmie was standing right beside be, changing her weight from the one foot and back again nervous.

Quinn eyed me with curiosity before he changed his gaze to Timmie. When he didn't speak, Landon continued. "I say we keep her for a while before we send her back to her master in little pieces."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He was either very brave or very stupid if he thought sending Eric Northman my body in pieces was a good idea. "What are you?" Quinn asked when he finally was finished thinking to himself. I only stared at him, but didn't reply. I didn't believe it was a very big deal if he knew, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

"Just leave her alone Quinn. This trip has just been a total fail, we are going home now" Timmie said and started to drag me out of the room.

"NO you are not!" Landon snarled and quickly pounced on Timmie. He gripped her around the shoulders to stop her, and made me lose my balance. Quinn (to my displeasure) caught me in his arms before I could hit the floor. "I know you can feel the pull, Timmie. We are mates and I am not leaving this place before you admit it and become mine" He growled.

I would have been terrified by his dark look, but Timmie to my astonishment smiled. "Then you are staying here for a long time, because I am leaving. You are an great guy Landon, but I will never be yours." She said calmly. When she was about to walk again I tried to struggle out of Quinn's grip to follow her, but neither of the men would let us.

"Let. Go. Of. Me" I said though clenched teeth. "You are not leaving you lying bitch!" Quinn growledin my ear.

Desperately, I looked over to Timmie who looked as calm as ever. "You are mine, Timmie." Landon hissed in her face. I got a strange feeling of déjà vu, only it being Eric and me a half a year ago. Timmie leaned closer to his ear and whispered something that I could hear.

Quinn froze behind me and I knew she probably didn't say something nice. As predicted, hell broke loose. Before I even could see what happened, Timmie and Landon were fighting. I tried to struggle again out of Quinn's grip bet with no avail.

"You can't let this happen. Quinn, we need to help her" I shouted angry for him to holding me back. "Don't worry about something you don't understand Hannah. We must let them fight, and eventually Timmie will be sat in her place rightfully." Quinn said and started to drag me the other way, out of the library.

"NO" I screamed and felt the energy flare inside of me. Just when I saw Landon grip around Timmie's throat and slam her into the ground, I sent a ball of light behind my shoulder. Quinn's hands were finally off me and I rushed over to aid Timmie. Landon was sitting on top of her, cutting her short for air when I used my own weight to crash into him, successfully pushing him off Timmie.

I fell after London, hitting the floor hard, head first. I could hear his low tiger rumbling and turned over to my back to face whatever who was to come. What I saw was a white fury stomach standing over me, before it pounced forward. I followed it with my eyes and saw Timmie in her tiger form attacking Landon who was still changing. I used a second to admire his unusual gray colour before a hand around my ankle brought me back to reality.

"You are not fucking up my niece's life by intervening anymore" Quinn's angry face appeared before me as he dragged me up and lifted me from the ground. I was kicking and shouting as much as possible but nothing helped. I tried to channel my light again so I could shoot him, but I had captured both of my wrists in one on his hand, angling them away from him.

He carried me out of the library and into the kitchen before he let go of me, slamming me into the dining table. "I should have known you were something special when Eric desperately called me. What are you?" He said hovering above me.

"Fuck you" I said and spit in his face. Quinn looked furious as he wiped the spit out of his face and slammed it down hard, right beside my head. I clenched my jaw and opened my mind to try and read him. As usual his thoughts were hazy. The only difference was the white fog that surrounded them. I recognized then as anger and evil.

"Maybe I should just fuck you and send you back to Eric in little pieces like Landon suggested" he threatened. "There is only one little word in that sentence" I said and smirked. He studied my face for a second before he gave in. "What?"

"Eric" I said simply. "You truly believe he will forgive you for fucking me and cutting me up in little pieces?" I was playing a weak card, I knew, but I didn't have anything else. "And even if you just buried me or hid my body, you truly believe he wouldn't find out?"

Quinn didn't say anything, just continued to stare at me like he truly was considering ripping me apart into little peaces. I knew he could, if he wanted to. I took slowly deep breaths, planning my next move. I could still hear the tigers fighting and I wanted to help Timmie.

Suddenly, Quinn stood up and growled in annoyance. I tried to hide my smile, knowing I had said something he knew was true. Realizing I was free from his grip, I jumped off the table and ran across the room towards the sound of rumbling and fighting tigers.

"Oh no, you're not!" I heard behind me before I again fell to the ground with a heavy weight of Quinn on top of me. I whimpered, feeling some of my ribs crack, before I was again lifted up from the floor like a rag doll. "Quinn, let go of me" I shouted and started to kick and scream again. However, I found it more difficult with the pain in my ribs and dizziness in my head after so many blows to my head in the short time.

He carried me through the great hall where I got a glimpse of the two tigers. The usually white and gray fur was streaked with red blood, making me only scream louder at Quinn. He didn't bother to even look before he started at the stone stair that led up to mine and Timmie's room.

"What are you doing?" I shouted at him when we eventually was in the top of the south wing. My voice had stared to sound a little hoarse from all the screaming. "You will be staying here as long as I find a solution to this fucking problem" he said and sat me down and shoved me inside my room. "Don't try to come downstairs again. It you do, you will be sorry" He growled and slammed the bedroom door shut.

I paced back and forth while I kept a trace on Quinn's mind and waited for him to get further away. I knew he meant what he said and was disappointed when he stopped moving. He was probably keeping guard by the stairs, I figured. I didn't believe I could sneak past him, so I had to figure something else to help Timmie.

Grabbing a handgun I ran out of the room and into the library. I remembered Timmie talking about the picture and those glances he had given me when she talked about it. "I always get hungry when I look at it" she had said. I started to touch it, looking for something out of the ordinary. She had mentioned secret paths and I was certain there was one behind the painting, probably leading to the kitchen.

Feeling around the frame, I found a button and pressed it. A "pop" sounded and the picture opened and showed an archway leading into nothing but pitch dark. I swallowed hard, summoned strength and quickly walked inside. To my surprise, my body was giving off a strange lightening making it easier to see. I figured it was because I just had used my light. I walked for a few minutes before I was met with a stone door. Pushing at it, it groaned but reluctantly opened.

I couldn't believe I had only used a few minutes from the library and was now standing behind one of the large statues in the kitchen. Normally I would walk for ten minutes only to get down her (twenty to get up all the stairs). I could say with certainty though, that I would never again use it. It was totally dark, smelled of mold and was the home of many spiders, reptiles and other insects.

I listened in for sounds of fighting but to my horror, everything was quiet. Peeking out of the kitchen door that led into the great hall, I saw the large front doors were open and barley hanging on. I didn't see Quinn anywhere and ran outside to look for Timmie. The snow was colored dark red with fresh blood and a trail was leading into the forest.

I was still dizzy and sore but I could let anything happen to Timmie so I followed the trail as fast as my legs could carry me. The forest was dark and scary but the moon lit up the trail I was following. Eventually I came to a clearing where I spotted the two tigers. Both were bloody and looked tired. Their long teeth were gleaming in the dark as the animals crashed violently together, attacking each other.

I raised my gun and tried to figure out which of them was Landon. I knew he had gray fur, but in the darkness it was hard to tell the difference between them. Then, I recognized one of the tails to the tigers. Timmie had a pattern I always had found funny. Her back was against me, but when she was thrown in the ground I got a clear view of Landon. I was just about to pull the trigger when two strong arms circled around me.


	12. Chapter 12

**I got so many awesome reviews on chapter 11, thank you so much! Ending it with a cliffhanger really did the trick, lol. **

**This is the longest chapter I have written (so far), I hope you'll like it! Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts. **

* * *

**Eric POV**

I arrived in London at first dark. Flying as fast as I could, I reached the library where I knew Timmie lived within half an hour. I could still smell Sookie here, but it wasn't a fresh scent. I was angry at myself for not checking it out when I first smelled her here. I had been too confident. But the day I had searched for her, the library had smelled of nothing more than paint, so it was impossible for me to have caught her scent.

Now, I busted through the door and drew a deep breath, still noticing that Sookie's smell was old. "Oh, hello dear" Mrs. Figg came around a corner of a bookshelf and smiled at me. I knew Pam loved this old owl, but personally I thought she was too nice (not like her sister at all).

"Mrs. Figg" I nodded in acknowledgement. "Is Timmie here? Or do you know where Hannah lives?" I said cutting to the case.

"I certainly know where Miss. Hannah lives. A wonderful house, she has. She invites me over for dinner once in a while" Mrs. Figg nodded. "But I am afraid Timmie is not here. Hannah and her went on a trip with her uncle and friend two days ago" she said and looking proud.

"Where did they go?" I said angry, showing the tip of my fangs.

"They are in Ireland, dear. Timmie's father had a castle there. Do you want the address, or do you want to wait until they get home. They should be home in a few days." She smiled.

"I'll take that address" I replied, calming the beast inside me. I didn't know what was wrong, but something inside me told me that something wasn't right. When Mrs. Figg retuned with the address scribbled down on a note, I thanked her and took to the air again. If I kept a high speed, I would be in Ireland about two hours before sunrise. That was just about enough time to locate my little telepath and make a plan before striking the next night.

As I flew, I got more and more worried. It was when the pain came I realized it was the little bond I had with Sookie. I hadn't felt anything from her for about six months and was pleased and worried at the same time. Reluctantly I pressed myself to fly even faster.

In Ireland I felt Sookie's pain but determination as I searched for the castle. She probably didn't think about keeping her shield around the bond. It was one hour before sunrise when I found the castle. I could smell the stench of _were_. I flew around the castle, looking into the windows searching for Sookie when I decided to follow a blood trail that led away from the castle and into the forest.

I saw two white tigers fighting to their death before my eyes found Sookie. My whole body surged with energy by the sight. She was dusty, bloody, sweaty, and looked out of balance where she stood with a handgun pointing at the tigers but I couldn't help to find her more beautiful than I remembered. Finally, I had found her.

I could see she was about to trigger the gun, when Quinn appeared from nowhere, sneaking his hands around her and pushed her into the ground. She screamed in shock and pain, while Quinn was busy changing to his tiger form. I was furious; he had known where she was the whole time.

I would take him home with me and have Pam play with him all she wanted. Sookie's scream brought me back to reality and what I saw made the beast inside of be break loose. Quinn had his sharp teeth around her little arm and had bit down. I could hear all the way from above how the bones in her arms crunched and broke.

Snapping out my fangs I flew down and right into Quinn's body throwing him off of her. I didn't even spare Sookie a second as my beast pounced after him, ready to kill. Quinn was a good fighter, but he held nothing against a thousand year old Viking. I could smell his fear as I threw him around in the forest. When he finally lay still, I flew and got some rope before I tied him down, making sure he would be here tomorrow when I could get him.

A shot through the air caught my attention. Worry grew inside me again as I flew back to where the two other tigers and Sookie had been. When I entered the clearing, there was no life. I could see Timmie in human form badly beaten lying underneath a man who had a gunshot in the back of his head. I could hear Timmie's slow heartbeat and knew she would heal in time, but I rushed over to her and force-fed some blood down her throat before I used my vampire speed to go back to my lover.

She was looking at me through heavy lids, still with the gun in her hand. I was crunched down beside her and cradled her in my arms. "Eric" she whispered hoarsely. "I knew you would come. You always do" she said and smiled before she passed out.

**Sookie POV**

I was thrown into the ground, hitting my head _again_ and twisting my leg. When I turned to look who it was, I saw the remnants of a man who turned into a large orange/red tiger. The drool from his mouth fell down in my face and I held up my arm to cover myself. I felt the piercing feeling of hard teeth digging into my flesh, and I felt like vomiting when my arm made strange crunching sounds.

Screaming of the top of my lungs the tiger was suddenly gone, but not before it's claws gave me a deep scratch on the top of my shoulder and down across my stomach. Gulping in air and blinking away tears I rolled to my side and looked for Timmie.

I could see her and Landon was back in human form, with him having the upper hand. "You will never get away from me, you hear me?" I could hear him snarl. "You will regret this day. I will make your life a living hell" he growled.

I fumbled around in the snow, only noticing _now_, how cold it really was. I could hardly move my fingers as they locked around the gun. I needed both of my hands to hold it, before I aimed it on Landon and fired the shot. My head was spinning but I knew I had hit him and rolled back to my back closing my eyes.

When I heard a swooshing sound I opened my eyes again staring into a familiar face. "Eric" I croaked. I couldn't be happier to see him. That meant this was all a dream, everything was going to be okay, and I would soon wake up and find myself in my own bed with Timmie beside me. "I knew you would come. You always do" I smiled before I closed my eyes and drifted away.

..

I registered the sound of the bath filling and opened my eyes. My head was pounding and I still felt dizzy. I was in my heroes lap as he undressed me.

"Why would you say I would always come for you?" Eric whispered in my ear. I smiled lazy, knowing he very well knew the answer. "You always do. You always save me from nightmares."

When I was naked he gently placed me in the bath, careful not to touch any of my wounds. I rested my head in his hand that was still supporting me, while feeling like it weighed a million tons. "Aren't you going to join me?" I mumbled when I felt him starting to wash me.

When he didn't reply I looked up in his face, finding total confusion. "What?" I asked, studying his wounds that were almost healed already for his hero actions. "Do you want me to join you?" He asked again, frowning.

"Of course, you always do. You don't have to ask every time, you know?" I giggled. Now, he only looked more confused. "I always do?" He questioned me. "Yes, we always take a bath, cuddle or sleep together after you save me" I said seriously. I was beginning to feel confused myself, and it was not a good thing as my head was spinning and heavy as it was.

Eric only stared at me, still frowning and confused. "Come on. Don't you want to?" I said and nudged his hand. After some more staring he stood up and took of his clothes. I would never tire of seeing him in his naked glory, but when he sat down in the other side of the tub, it was my turn to frown in confusion. Why was he acting so weird?

I used the tub to drag me across towards him and snuggled into his naked chest. When he didn't slide his arms around me as he usually did, I pulled back. "Is something wrong?" I asked him.

Shock was plastered on his face but he quickly masked it and went back to his normal self. "No" he said and slowly pulled me close, holding me tight in his lap. We lay in silence as the warm water worked on our bodies. I was just about to fall asleep when he started to talk. "Why did you run from me?" He said in a calm and soothing low voice.

"I have already told you that, many times in fact" I said sinking into his chest. "Tell me again, lover" he whispered.

I sighed, lifting my hand and starting to trace his chest with it. "I don't want to be a kept woman. I don't want to live a life with danger and being in a prison. I don't want the false feeling through the bond. I don't want to hear you say that you will protect me and I will be safe with you, that I don't need to fear. That I can trust you… Only to find out when I finally trust you and believe in you, you will let me down."

I could feel him tensing slightly beneath me, but he didn't say anything. "Do you really think we can live a life of peace and happiness?" I said and looked up into his eyes. Red tears were forming in his eyes but he didn't release them. "I don't think so" I whispered and leaned closer to bury my face in his neck.

We sat in silence for a little longer, me caressing his chest. I was trying to find a pattern to breathe in to ease the pain in my body and head. I remembered how Eric could always make me feel better, and let my hand drift down to his crouch. I curled my fingers around his hard shaft, only for him to remove my hand again. Confused I looked at him, but he only smiled. "Not tonight" he said and kissed my forehead.

Disappointed, I nodded. "I want you to take my blood, lover" Eric said, still with a calm and soothing voice.

I giggled a little again. "Eric, if I drink more of your blood, you will overcook me!"

He smiled. "Only a little" he said and bit into his wrist. I was glad he placed his wrist before my mouth, as I would probably not be able to move it myself. Sucking lightly on his wrist, I felt the pain in my body starting to disappear immediately.

When the wound closed I sighted deeply and lay down on him chest again. "I hate everything about you so why do I love you so much?" I whispered into his chest.

While the pain in my body disappeared, the throbbing in my head only increased. It didn't take long before I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep again.

**Eric POV**

She thought she was dreaming I was certain of it. In the beginning I had thought she was just fooling me, but she couldn't be that good. She had probably some sort of concussion or something. When I had carried Timmie and her back to the castle I had made Timmie invite me in. I had helped her to bed before I had concentrated on Sookie.

All the anger, promises of punishments, turnings, forcing blood had all disappeared when I looked down at her in my arms. Tora's words were still whispering in the back of my brain "you love her".

I didn't know what to do when Sookie wanted me to have a bath with her. I had obviously been the hero in her dreams, even without the blood. That pleased me, but I was still a little confused. But I wouldn't complain. If felt good to have her back in my arms, especially of her own free will.

When she had told my why she didn't want to be with me I was feeling a pang in my stomach. She was right. I would only bring her in danger. But I didn't believe she would be a kept woman (whatever that was), feeling false feelings, or be a prisoner. I would make sure she was happy, be as free as possible, and give her everything she wanted. And most certainly not let her down.

It pained me to think she believed so little in me. But I could understand what she was saying. I hadn't really given her a reason to trust me, but that was necessary in the situations we had been in.

When she had placed her little hand around my arousal I had almost lost it again. I couldn't describe how much I wanted her to continue, or how much I wanted to be buried deep inside her. But I couldn't take advantage of her like that.

"I hate everything about you so why do I love you so much?" she whispered into my chest. I didn't know the answer, only that I felt exactly the same way.

When she passed out again, I stood from the bath and dried us both of. There was just a few minutes left until sunrise and I could already feel the pull from the sun.

"How are you doing? I asked Timmie as I carried a sleeping Sookie into their room.

"All healed" she said. I could see and feel the guilt she was now carrying. "Eric, I didn't know it was her…" she said and looked at me with pleading eyes. "We'll talk about this tomorrow" I said calmly as I tucked my lover into the bed. "Keep an eye on her. Her wounds are deep and will probably heal slowly." I said and kissed her forehead before I slipped out of the room. I knew there was a dungeon in this castle and it would probably be light tight, and made my way downstairs to die for the day.

…

I woke early and wanted to head up to my lover again. Unfortunately the sun was not completely down yet so I had to wait. I was thinking about her warm body, her bare firm breast, good smell and that little hand gripping around me and got extremely hard.

I cursed myself, sick and tired of the reactions that my thoughts had on my body. With her smell still lingering on my body I found it easier to stroke myself. I was picturing what could have happened if I hadn't stopped her yesterday, and if she hadn't been so damaged.

"_Eric, please touch me" she said and gripped me tighter around my cock. I groaned, almost finding release just by her touch. It had been too long. _

_I cupped her breasts with my hands, feeling her soft warm skin. Her nipples hardened as I gripped them firmly, pinching them slightly. She moaned, started to rock her hips back and forth in my lap, still working on my erection. Leaving one of her breasts, I put my hand behind her neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. _

_She bit my lip hard as she squeezed me tighter making me growl. God, she was perfect. My hand behind her head slid down her back slowly while I felt her skin break out in goose bumps before it landed on her ass. I returned the favor and squeezed her back. _

_When I let my hand drift between her legs, she arched her back, breaking the kiss and moaned again. "Oh God, Eric please" she pleaded; her soft voice was music to my ears. Sliding my fingers through her folds I found her already ready for my cock. I slipped in one finger, followed closely by a second and then a third. _

_She was riding my fingers, moaning louder while my other hand massaged her breasts and my mouth devoured her neck. Enough of the teasing, she shoved my hand away from her sex and lined up my large cock at her entrance. _

_She paused and looked into my eyes with so much lust and passion in her eyes and I knew mine was mirroring hers. "I love you, Eric. Make me yours" she said before she sat down, impaling herself on my erection. _

I shouted out my release as I came in my hand. It was the strongest orgasm I had ever had in a long time. I closed my eyes and savored the feeling, wishing it could have been real.

When the sun finally was down I appeared before Sookie and Timmie's bedroom door. I didn't know how Sookie would react now, as she clearly believed it was all a dream yesterday. Checking the slightly stronger bond, I found her to be sleeping. I knocked on the door before I went inside.

"Oh thank God you are here Eric. Sookie isn't responding like I thought she would! I think there is something wrong!" Timmie said as she jumped from the bed to greet me.

I was angry at her, and used my vampire speed to slip around her to Sookie's side. Timmie was right. Sookie's wounds were almost healed up; she should have been as good as new. Instead, she was lying completely still while sweating heavily. She was colder than usual and I could hear her heart beating uneven.

"She has been like this since you left her this morning. Not moving once!" Timmie said, clearly worried.

I tore my wrist open and opened Sookie's mouth and let the blood run down inside her mouth. She didn't swallow, so I needed to massage her muscles in her throat. The remaining marks of the wounds healed quickly but I still didn't get any other respond from her.

Checking our now small bond I was surprised to find her… not there. I knew she was there, but she was not sleeping. Instead she was in a coma.

"Eric, she will be alright, right?" Timmie pulled my arm to get my attention. "Go start the car!" I said and shoved her away. I needed to get back to London as fast as possible. I would have flown, but Sookie would not make it in the cold wind and temperature.

When we were set to go, I remembered Quinn. "Fuck" I said slamming my hand on the steering wheel. "Wait here" I said to Timmie and glanced to the back seat where Sookie was laying before I disappeared.

I found Quinn at the place I had left him and quickly brought him back to the car. He was not going to get out of his punishment that easy. I opened the trunk and placed him inside. He was a big guy, and since Sookie's car was small, I had to break a few bones to make him fit.

When we were set to go with nothing important forgotten I started to drive. I knew I had to drive fast, not only for Sookie's sake but also my own if I would not want to be fried.

On the ferry I stayed in the car with Sookie while Timmie went to buy some food.

"Come on lover. What's wrong?" I said lifting her into my lap and stroking the top of her head. An unfamiliar feeling seeped into my bones: fright. Why wasn't she healing? Vampire blood was supposed to heal everything. As far as I knew (and could smell) she was not poisoned or anything. She seemed fine!

"Wake up, Sookie" I whispered in her ear. "Lover, I need you to open your eyes." I tried again when she didn't respond.

Anger was building up inside of me. How dare her to leave me like this for so long, only when I would find her again she would close her eyes and not respond to me anymore.

"I _said_ get up, my little fairy" I said again a little louder but she didn't respond.

"Do you hear me, lover? You are mine and are not leaving me or going anywhere until I give you permission!" I gripped her harder and shook her a little.

I was feeling frightened. I had been many things; worried, nervous, anxious… But never frightened. Why wouldn't she wake? How dare she to just lay there and not respond? How dared she to just lay there, taking comfort in my arms but still ignore me?

I felt bloody tears pressing behind my eyes and I cradled her tighter into my chest. "You need to wake up, lover" I whispered. "Please, just give me a sign. Give me a sign". I started to mumble.

Far away I could hear and feel Timmie coming closer. Taking control over myself again, I let Sookie out of my arms and sat back in the front seat. I was still teary eyed and needed to focus on something else. Yes, my anger towards Timmie.

"Anything new?" she asked with a high pitched tone. I only stared at her for a moment before I looked away.

"Eric, please don't be like this!" Timmie pleaded and hung her head sad.

"Did you know it was her I was looking for?" I snapped at her.

"I didn't know in the beginning. But when I got to know her I suspected it" she said in a low tone feeling guilty. I could smell her tears, but didn't offer any comfort.

"Eric, I wasn't sure, I didn't-"She started again, but I cut her off. "Enough, Timmie! I don't want to hear any more about this. All we should focus on is to get to your home as fast as possible." I snapped. I couldn't help feeling betrayed by her. If she even had been suspicious she should have called me, not matter what excuse. I was her Master! I needed to come up with a punishment for her.

But first, I needed to get Sookie examined. I would preferably had Dr. Ludwig to check up on her, but I didn't want to risk the time it took to bring her home. Therefore I decided for the next best solution; her sister. I knew Mrs. Figg was no doctor, but she knew what she was doing (even if I had my doubts now and then).

**Sookie POV**

I felt utterly relaxed when I opened my eyes and stared right into Mrs. Figg's big brown ones. "Good to see you waking up, dear. I was starting to worry." She smiled. I frowned, confused. What had happened? Where was I?

Had everything been a dream? No, I remembered the trip to Ireland. But why was I lying in the library? Tilting my head to the side, I saw Timmie sleeping in a chair.

"You had a nasty attack, dear. You have been hurt by a maenad before, yes?" Mrs. Figg said random.

"Y-yes, how did you know?" I asked her, still not getting how the hell I had ended up here.

"When the wolf bit you, you got ill. The maenad poison can linger in your body for several years. I believe that when your body was so weakened, the poison came back to life. It was good you got here in time, or else I don't know how it would have ended." She said and patted my arm.

The incident slowly came back to me as she talked. I remembered aiming the gun before Quinn attacked me. And after I had finally shot Landon I had passed out. And now I was waking up here. It didn't make any sense at all.

"Is Timmie okay?" I asked as I sat up. "Yes of course. I gave her a piece of my mind for not protecting you better. Even with the boys around you still got hurt, what exactly we tried to avoid!" she huffed. "Timmie had been here the whole time; she is very tired but nothing more serious than that."

"The boys?" I asked, fishing for information. I knew Landon was dead (if he couldn't survive a head shot) but Quinn I had no idea of where went.

"Yes. They stayed behind to clean up the mess, Timmie told me. You probably don't remember much. It is perfectly normal to get a little dizzy, so don't panic if you do. Now, I want you to stay her a little longer, while I go cook some food" she said again and trotted away.

When she rounded the corner I glanced at Timmie. I wanted to wake her and ask what had happened, but Mrs. Figg said she was tired and I didn't want to disturb her. She looked okay though. I didn't know what I had expected because I knew wereanimals healed faster than normal humans. But Timmie had looked half dead as far as I could remember, but now…

I looked down at myself and frowned. The bruises I knew I had sported were all gone. I felt completely fine, almost as I had taken vampire blood. A cold shiver ran down my spine. What had really happened? I tried to think of something more, but I knew I had blacked out. Then I had dreamed as usual my hero dreams about Eric, and now I was back in Sunnew in the library. Something was not right.

Suddenly I felt naked, like I was missing something. I fumbled around, searching for my Grans medallion. I was distraught to find it gone. Tears were leaking from my eyes and I sobbed, waking Timmie.

"Sookie? What's wrong are you okay?" She stood from the couch she had been sitting in and rushed over to me.

"The medallion" I mumbled. "Timmie, have you seen my necklace?" She shook her head and I lay back gripping her hand tightly. "What happened?" I eventually asked her.

She smiled a sad smile. "You saved me Sookie" she bent over me and cradled me in a hug. "I wish I could give you the same freedom as you have given me" she started sobbing.

I was confused. What was she talking about? "Timmie, don't cry. I am free, and you are my best friend. You don't have to repay me, I am glad I could help you" I said and stroked her back soothingly.

She drew back from my arms and the look of guilt was shining through her eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked a little nervous. She didn't say anything, only bowing her head and kept sobbing. Eventually she dried up at raised her head again. "Quinn is dead" was the only thing she said.

I nodded, still confused but decided not to push her. She was probably sad about losing her uncle and childhood friend.

"Oh, Timmie, you're awake. Good thing I made breakfast for the both of you then" Mrs. Figg appeared around a corner with a tray full of food. "I'll let you two eat alone. I have some new books that need to get registered anyway. Hannah dear, if you are feeling fine you should be able to go home. I would like for you to continue to take these pills though" she said and handed me a little bow with yellow pills inside. "It will help your body to get rid of the rest of the maenad poison"

I thanked her before she walked away and turned to Timmie. "What time is it? How long have I been out?"

"It's ten in the morning. You have been out for three days. When… It was over I brought you back inside. I thought you just needed some sleep, but when you didn't wake the next day I got afraid, and I drove you here. Gran is good with her medicine." Timmie explained, but still with the guilty expression.

I only nodded again before we ate our breakfast in silence.

When I assured Mrs. Figg I was totally fine for the fifth time Timmie and me went home. It was a little after noon and a great sunny day so we decided to go for a walk. I made sure to tuck myself in because of the cold and forced Timmie to do it as well even if she really didn't need to.

We walked in silence, thinking about out time in the castle. I wondered how Quinn had died. The last minutes I could remember before I passed out was of him biting me and suddenly disappearing. Timmie had still been fighting Landon at the moment before I shot him, so it could be her that saved me. I thought of the dream, how real it had seemed. But then again, my dreams about Eric always seemed real and having dreams about him saving me, the damsel in distress, was nothing new.

Still, I knew something was very wrong. Heading back to the house I made dinner. Finished eating, Timmie lit a fire in the fireplace and we cuddled together in the couch under a blanket. Staring into the fire I noticed how tired I was. I was still felling naked without Gran's amulet, and fell into a troubled sleep.

"_You are mine, Sookie Stackhouse" Eric snarled, his fangs dangerous close to my face. "You thought you could run from me?" he laughed an evil laugh, smiling viciously. _

"_Please Eric" I cried, feeling his hand around my throat squeezing tighter. _

"_Please what?" he snarled. "You thought you had won when I didn't find you at first. But I will tell you something my little fairy. If you ever do something like this again I will burn this whole world down until I find you" _

"_Eric please let me go. I don't want you" I sobbed. _

"_Liar" he hissed and crashed his lips against mine. _

_I was trying to push him away, only making him chuckle at my attempt. With more force, throwing my whole body weight at him he stumbled back a small step, surprised. The little gap I had managed to create was enough for me to slip away as I ran as fast as I could away from him. _

_I only got a few steps before I landed on the ground with the angry vampire on top of me. He flipped me around to my back so I was facing him. He was smiling, triggering only more fear in my body._

"_You can't ever run from me again, lover. I can't wait to have you as my child, having you by my side forever" he said and grounded his hips into me so I could feel how excited he was. _

"_No, no please" I pleaded, tears streaming down my chin. Eric chuckled again and hovered above me before he started to lick and nibble at my neck, grounding himself against me again. _

"_Get off me, you monster" I shouted and landed my fists everywhere they could reach on him. He caught my wrist and forced them down over my head._

_I screamed as loud as I could when his fangs sank deep into my throat. He groaned out of pleasure and kept rocking against me while he stole my blood. To my horror I could feel the striking pain throbbing in my body slowly turn into pleasure._

_The screams had turned into moans and I was grinding myself up to meet his rocking. His hands left my wrist and decanted down to my breasts, massaging them through my blouse. Before he could close the wounds on my neck I pulled him by his hair and into a passionate kiss. All the resentment and hate I had felt against him was gone. The only thing in my mind was lust and desire. I wanted him. _

_Our clothes were miraculously gone and Eric was sucking harshly on one of my nipples while massaging the other with his hand, making me moan even louder. He was grinding his hard length between my folds, making me want him inside me. _

_The head of him cock was rubbing my clit the right way and I was soon trashing and wiggling beneath him, trying to lure him inside. "Say you want me, lover" he said, voice filled with heat. _

"_Please Eric" I gasped, begging him for something entirely different than I had been only a few minutes ago. _

"_Say you are mine and I will give you what you want" he demanded, bringing his tip to my entrance and gave it some pressure but not enough. _

_I moaned and tried to raise my hips against him but he pulled away. "Say who you belong to, lover" he growled and showed me his fangs. He looked terrifying but so perfect. His hard and firm body was crushing me deliciously into the floor and the passion in his eyes made me lose my mind completely. _

"_Fine" I breathed. "I want you; I am yours and belong to you" I said and looked him deeply into his eyes. The triumphant and possessive look on his face should have made my alarms go off, but all I could think about was the swift movement he did to bury both his erection and fangs in my body. _

I opened my eyes, panting hard as I looked around the room. What the fuck was that? I was frantic as I stood from the couch almost stepping on the white tiger lying beside it. Something was wrong. I hadn't dreamed about Eric in that way for a long time. Not since I had his blood.

Turning to the window I noticed it was completely dark outside. Pacing the living room I started to panic. Something was really wrong! The tiger lifted its head from the floor before it stood and walked lazily up the stair to the second floors.

I was trying to calm down when someone knocked on the door. I froze, stared at it from where I stood, afraid that if I moved a muscle something would explode. Reaching out with my brain I found a void. I was beginning to sweat and feeling dizzy again. This was just a coincident, right? It could very well be a were or human that was immune against my curse? Or a friendly vampire wanting to say hello and leave me alone?

The knocking sounded again and I slowly found my legs starting to move towards the door. From the crook of my eye I could see Timmie coming down the stairs as a human again. She didn't say anything, and I knew now why she had been acting so strange and guilty the whole day.

Placing my hand on the doorknob I slowly twisted it around and opened the door. My breath hitched in my throat as I looked at the one person I wished I never would have seen again in my life. Eric was more handsome than I remembered. I stood staring at him for a minute, hoping he would suddenly vanish or waking up from the nightmare I was obviously in.

The pain and fright that shot through my chest almost brought me down to my knees. It felt like I had a hand around my throat cutting out my air, killing me slowly. My head was spinning. He had found me, he was really here.

To confirm my thoughts, he smiled. "Hello Sookie" he said it like it was just another day. Like nothing was wrong. Before I could faint, throw up, kill him or start to cry, I slammed the door in his face.

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**Remember to review :-D :-D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts :-)**

**(Warning: Some minor violence ahead)**

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**Sookie POV**

"Sookie, you need to breathe" Timmie rushed over to me from where she stood by the stairs.

No, no, no, no, this could not be happening. I reached out with my mind again to see if it actually had been real. The void was still right outside of the door confirming my worst fear. I stared at Timmie in disbelief. She seemed too calm, as if she knew who the vampire outside was.

I couldn't believe after so long he had found me. I gulped in deep breaths, trying to calm down ignoring Timmie's attempts to get my attention. I needed to leave as fast as possible in the morning. He needed an invite into my home which he certainly wouldn't get, so I could just sit and wait until he had to leave. Yes, that was a good plan.

I was panicking.

How did he find me? Maybe Quinn had called him. Suddenly my mood changed into anger. What the fuck was he doing here? I thought my leaving was a hint enough. Standing up, I pushed Timmie away and opened the door again.

**Eric POV**

Sookie looked much better than she had when I left her for the sun a few hours ago. I checked her over for wounds but couldn't see anything, pleased that my blood had healed her up nicely. With the little blood I had given her in "her dream" I could feel her a little stronger and locate her (though I was not satisfied yet). I smiled, tried to stay calm and not look intimidating as I said "Hello Sookie".

Her expression didn't give me any hints of what was going through her mind, but I felt the heavy turmoil like a tornado though the blood. I was waiting for a reaction for a minute, wondering if she was just going to stare at me all night before she slammed the door in my face.

I clenched my jaw, fisting my hands in irritation. I hadn't exactly believed she would jump into my arms and kiss me (though I hoped she would) but to get a door slammed in my face was not something that happened often to me and I didn't like it.

Standing outside I had to block our little bond. The pain and desperation she was feeling was killing me. I could hear the heavy breathing and Timmie trying to calm her down. She probably still believed that "her dream" was a dream and this was the first time that she had seen me. I was pleased to know she was still dreaming of me, even without the blood to affect her. I was pulled out of my thoughts when the door was wrenched open again, and a very angry Sookie was staring at me.

She struggled to smile, it looked more like a grimace but her voice was calm. "Eric! How nice to see you again. What are you doing in England?" she said innocently.

I smiled approvingly as she tried to act normally. "I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd stop by." I said casually playing along.

Sookie was pale, I could see the blood rushing though her veins and hear her heart thump in a fast pace. "Oh. How nice of you, but I am sorry to say that I am a little busy. So if you'll excuse me, I'll need you to leave… And not ever come back." She said and smiled a sweet smile before she started to close the door.

I chuckled and placed a hand on the door preventing her from closing it. If she had only been a little closer I could have reached her and dragged her outside for a proper greeting, but I couldn't move my legs over her threshold. "I can't do that Sookie. You have been gone for so long. I thought we could catch up. Maybe you could invite me in?" I asked already knowing her answer.

I was amused to see how she was clenching her fists in anger, her whole body almost shaking. I would have thought she would have exploded by now. "I'm sorry, like I said I am busy" she said and tried to close the door further but with no avail.

"Invite me in, Sookie!" I snapped irritated. I only wanted her to talk for a while!

"What do you want, Eric?" She snapped back, her anger starting to get the better of her.

"Like I said, I just want to catch up. Talk a little." I smirked, leaning on the doorframe. She only narrowed her eyes at me. "Fine" she said and smiled, surprising me. "But I am busy tonight, come back in a week."

That made me laugh, something I hadn't done for a long time. "Like you would still be here when I come back" I said, amused and then got serious. "You fooled me once you are not going to get a second shot!" I almost snarled, my own anger rising underneath my skin.

"I didn't fool you. I told you I would think about your offer and I did. I though me leaving was a clear NO!" Sookie was almost shouting now.

"No was not an option fairy princess. You need protection."

"Pft" she rolled her eyes. "I have been living here in six months now and nothing bad has happened. I don't need your protection Eric. If I ever need someone to control me I will call you!" She spat and tried again to close the door. When it didn't budge, she threw her hands in the air and stomped away from the door. "I loathe your face, just get away from me and my house!" she said as she retreated further into her house.

"Nothing bad has happened? So you think your so called vacation in Ireland was a success?" I barked at her. She was pushing my buttons now. She froze in her tracks. Through our bond I knew she was shocked before realization hit her. "You were there" she whispered.

I didn't bother to reply, wondering if I should order Timmie who had been silent for the entire time to drag Sookie out of the house so I could take her home with me and end this war that was going on between us. I would not let her leave me again, and if she did I could track her through the blood. She needed me, she just didn't realize it.

The smell of salty tears hit me and I knew she was crying. Fuck. I hated when women cried. My insides turned to ice and something tight gripped around my chest. I had dropped my shields and felt what Sookie felt. I didn't like it, knowing that I was the one to cause her harm. But she needed to understand that she needed me.

"Timmie" I said harshly and looked at her. Sookie whipped around and looked and Timmie. "You know him?" she cried and looked devastated.

"I am, and have been her Master for many years" I explained and felt a stab in my chest. Betrayed was the one feeling dominating my telepath. She probably believed Timmie sold her out, but I didn't care about their little relationship at the moment to correct her assumptions.

"Make sure she doesn't leave" I said to my _"little sister"_ before I turned back to Sookie. "I will give you some time but expect you to talk to me tomorrow."

"Fuck you, Eric!" Sookie shouted back crying, angry again. I knew she didn't like my command but I knew she needed time. She needed time to cool down and get used to the idea of me being back in her life. To hope that she would realize how stupid she had been running from me was a long shot, but I knew she eventually would agree with me. I bid them both a good night before I took off into the cold air. The good thing about winter was that the days were so short. I would leave her alone for a few hours and at nightfall I would come back and claim what is mine.

**Sookie POV**

I couldn't believe what had just happened. I felt so betrayed, so defeated and so… lost for what to do. Eric had been in Ireland. He was the one who saved me. He had acted so strange in my dream, so unlike "dream Eric" that I now understood that it couldn't possibly have been a dream. That meant I drank his blood in reality.

He knew Timmie. Timmie was Eric's slave. Had Eric known about me the whole time and arranged for me to meet Timmie? Had she been watching me for him all this time? I had been determinate to not show any weakness as I faced Eric but now, my body couldn't take it anymore.

I sunk down to my knees and started crying more heavily. My life was over. I could never be free again. All of this for nothing. If I ran away Eric could track me down again through the blood. It was hopeless. I didn't want to live my life under his hand. Maybe I should just end it and be done already.

"Sookie" Timmie came closer to where I sat. "Leave, Timmie" I cried angrily.

"Sookie, please believe me, I didn't know it was Eric you were running from!" she said again with a shaky voice almost crying herself. "Leave me alone, Timmie" I shouted, knowing very well she was lying.

"Please Sookie, I didn't know" she was crying now as well. "You never told me the name of who was chasing you. Please don't make me leave, please believe me. I don't want to lose my only friend."

I kept on crying as I listened to her weak pleading. "GET OUT!" I shouted as reply. I didn't look up when I heard her walk away and the door closing behind her.

I didn't know how long I just sat on the floor in my living room crying. I wanted to call Sam and ask him what I should do, but I knew it was pointless. Wherever I went Eric could track me. The only thing I could do to get rid of our connection was to find a witch or something that could break it but I knew it was impossible to find one.

…

The sun was shining through the windows. What seemed like a few minutes later, the sun had started to set. I finally had emptied myself for all the tears and dragged my body up the stairs to my bedroom. My whole body was sore, shaking. My eyes were blood red from all the crying.

I hurt so bad inside. I had prayed to Gran, asked her to come back to me and tell me what to do, do what she usually did when I was sad. But she never came. I crawled into my bed, hoping to wake up and realize that everything was just a nightmare, a really bad nightmare.

I didn't know how long time I had been out, but when I woke up I was cuddled around a tiger. I was so mad, felt so betrayed, but I knew it wasn't Timmie the human that had betrayed me that was lying in my bed. It was the tiger who looked at me like one of her pack, someone to protect and I gladly took comfort in her. It didn't really make any sense because they were both the same person, but I didn't care. For me, it felt right.

The moon was lighting up my room and I noticed the void close by, making my eyes fill with tears again. I had built my own life, done something I wanted to do for myself. I had created my own home, been happy. And now he was back to take it all away from me _again_.

I felt him getting closer and knew when he was right outside of my bedroom window.

"Please go away" I whispered, knowing he could hear me.

"I just want to talk to you Sookie" He said, sounding calm and actually gentle. "I don't want to talk to you" I said angrily, tightening my grip around the tiger and felt the tears run down my skin.

"So just listen to what I have to say" he said and paused. I wondered if he wanted a reply or not. Honestly, I didn't care about what he had to say. I very well knew what he was going to say anyways. Me needing protection from other vampires, he cared about me, I needed to belong to someone, I was his, and all of that other bullshit.

Eric didn't know actually what he was going to say. He knew he had feelings for Sookie but didn't want to reveal them to her and sound weak. "You need to come home, Sookie" he started.

"I AM HOME, ERIC" I shouted and turned around to look at him, startling the tiger beside me.

"Your home is with me" Eric said calmly. He knew getting Sookie to invite him in was pointless. His charms didn't work on her to his outmost irritation, so his only option was to get her out of the house.

"Why is it so hard to accept a NO?" I was angry now, tears running down my face. "I don't want to be with you Eric. I have a new home here, and I have no intention of going back with you!"

"You forget that I can feel you now, princess. Deep down I know you are lying" he said. Eric was a patient vampire, something he had learned the virtue of through his existence. But something about this girl was bringing out the newborn in him. He fought hard to control himself. He knew he had lost it yesterday and gone the complete wrong way to get his lover willingly back in his arms.

"You are wrong" I huffed and turned my back to him again, remembering that in my latest dream, I had given into him. The truth was, even if it felt like my heart was completely shattered beyond repair, I felt something like appreciation for him being here. And not because it was _him_, but something familiar, something I missed. I fumbled around for my amulet before I remembered it was gone.

"Sookie, invite me in so we can talk. Please?" He begged now. He wanted to be close to her. Comfort her, have her back in his arms so he could drive her pain away.

"No" I said simply. "Why can't we just talk together?" Eric said irritated. God, she was too stubborn for her own good.

"We are talking just fine with you outside" I said with the same irritated voice he had just used. He was too stubborn for his own good.

"It is cold outside" he stated and I rolled my eyes. "You are a fucking vampire you don't feel cold" I snapped. Though, when I looked outside to see the heavy snowing outside I shivered. I wouldn't have gone out if someone had paid me considering the weather. However, Eric deserved it and I felt a little better.

"You need to come home Sookie. Your brother needs you" Eric changed the subject back to his many lame reasons for why Sookie needed to come home with him. He heard the snort and knew she didn't believe him.

I knew Jason was fine so I didn't bother replying. He said nothing for a while. If it hadn't been for the void I would have thought Eric had left. I had almost fallen asleep again when he finally spoke. "Timmie didn't know it was you I was looking for." He said, to my complete ignorance. Why couldn't he just understand that I wanted him gone?

Even if my body protested I sat up in the bed and turned to look at him. He looked back at me. To my astonishment I could see lots of emotions cross his face. Desire, lust, anger, pain and the predatory stare all at once.

Finished with the lovely conversation we had, I dragged my body out of the bed and lazily walked into the bathroom. Happy that there weren't any windows in there, I closed the door and started to fill the tub. I felt Eric still close but didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore. I knew I was doomed.

Sinking down in the bath, the tears came back with full force. I knew there was only a matter of time before I was back in Eric's hands. I didn't want to give up, couldn't give up! Maybe if I went with him I could use him to find a witch who could help me.

It was hopeless. I looked over to my razor and wondered if I should do it. End it all myself, before Eric could do it for me. Picking it up, is studied the blades still crying. The clenching in my heart was turning into be really painful, like a cramp in my chest. I couldn't escape this hell. No matter what I did I would still be caged inside.

Angry, I threw the razor away as hard as I could. I couldn't do it.

**Eric POV**

"So the poison is completely gone?" I asked Mrs. Figg.

"I don't know, dear, you should ask my sister. But I believe she is in no longer danger from it, even if she gets hurt again." Mrs. Figg smiled while she dusted off some books.

"She won't" I snapped. I would not allow it. When Sookie had ditched me for a bath I had decided to give her more time. I needed to come up with a plan to get her out of the house anyway. I had called Pam to let her know I had found her and made sure she would buy everything a human could possibly need for my house.

"Mrs. Figg, I want to take Timmie with me when I leave." I said and sighed. I knew Mrs. Figg still believed her mate was alive and would rather her staying here. "You know I can protect her, and Pam misses her." Okay, so I lay on a little thick.

"Eric dear" she started and I rolled my eyes behind her back. Being a 1,000 year old vampire and being called "dear" was not something I was used to. I hadn't killed her for it only because she was Timmie's Gran. "I don't like it. But I understand. If Timmie want to go with you, I won't protest."

Pleased, I nodded in agreement. When I felt the suns pull I walked downstairs in the basement to Timmie's chamber. I needed to come up with a punishment for her. Maybe Pam would enjoy the honor. It wasn't often I had punished my child through her existence, but when I found Timmie everything changed.

There wasn't even a day when they didn't fight. In the beginning I had let them punish each other for their disturbance of my peace, only resulting it in getting even worse. I had no problem punishing either of them with wounding their pride, violence or just ordering them around for a while against their will.

With Pam I had found out that denying her a pair of new shoes or new clothes was much worse than physical pain. With Timmie, it was the opposite. I didn't hurt Timmie too much, only fighting her and restraining her – something that she hated, since she usually was the one who won fights in the pits.

Smiling to myself I thought about the current situation. I was glad she could be some sort of comfort for my lover, even if I was jealous. If she didn't come out tomorrow I had to turn to drastic methods. It wasn't just for my own sake; I needed to get back home before I got the Queen on my back _again. _

I decided to order Timmie to push her outside if Sookie denied me again. Confident that I would have my lover back in my arms tomorrow I let the sun pull me under into a dead state.

…

The day only lasted a few hours and it wasn't long before I was up and flying towards Sookie's house. I checked our bond and was sad to find her in the same pain that had consumed her since I appeared. It angered me, made me want to rip something apart.

I appeared outside of the door and knocked while I calmed down. It was (again to my irritation), Timmie who opened the door for me and not my lover. Through the now open door I could see her sitting before her fireplace with her back against me.

I knew she could feel my presence. Looking down at Timmie I could see her sadness. "How is she?" I asked her with a low voice and turned my attention back to Sookie.

"Not good, Eric" Timmie whispered back. "She has forgiven you?" I asked and raised a brow. It was not like my lover to forgive so easily. Maybe she had decided too when I told her about Timmie's innocence in all of this.

"No" Timmie said, surprising me. I looked down at her with curiosity and saw the tears in her eyes. "Eric, it's like she doesn't care about my presence anymore. She is hardly spoken a word to me all day."

I looked back to my lover with confusion, pain and dread was surging through her. "Sookie, invite me in." I asked gently. When she ignored me I clenched my jaw.

"I always knew that you'd get me." She whispered suddenly. I didn't say anything, not wanting to disturb her if she was planning to say anything else. It was almost like she was in shock. "You always knew just how to make me cry. It seems you get your kicks from hurting me."

At this I growled. "I would never hurt you!"

"No?" She said simply.

"Everything I did was to make sure you were safe. I couldn't tell you because that would ruin everything. But I never lied, I never wanted to hurt you and I never took pleasure in knowing I did!" I hissed irritably for her getting me to talk like this.

"And what do you think you are doing now? There aren't any vampires in this part of London, so what you are _keeping me safe from _I don't know" she said and stood from her chair and turned to me. She didn't look well at all. Her eyes were in the worst state, all puffy and blood red from all the crying she had done. I cringed, knowing I was the cause.

"The Queen is still looking for you" I said trying to calm myself down again, something I found very hard to do at the moment.

"So now you decided, for my own safety, to bring me back into her area and under her rule?" She asked, with a completely defeated tone to her voice.

Fisting my hands I and turned to Timmie. "As your Master I command you to bring her to me" I hissed. Sookie didn't do anything to protest, only crying more silent tears as her glance went from me to Timmie. Timmie was staring at Sookie before she looked back to me and walked towards me.

The little control I had forced my anger down with disappeared completely, knowing that she was defying my order.

"Timmie, don't go outside, he'll kill you" I could hear Sookie shout in the background but Timmie didn't bother to look at her. She lowered her head in a submissive position and came to stand right in front of me outside of the door where she fell to her knees.

Had I ever thought about snapping her neck, now was the time I had been most tempted since I met her. My fangs was fully out as I looked at her, flames in my eyes. My dead body was almost shaking. I was her master and she disobeyed me. Furious I grabbed her around her neck and lifted her up from the ground so her face was inches away from mine.

"Do you want to die?" I snarled and tightened my grip around her neck until I heard the bones made a crunching sound.

Her green eyes were pleading me with mercy. Slowly I loosened my grip before I broke her neck completely. "Please Master, she is my only friend" she whispered, voice hoarse from my rough treatment.

I felt a little hint of guilt inside of me. I knew Timmie didn't have any other friends beside Sookie and Pam (if you counted Pam as a friend…). But I was furious. The beast inside of me was roaring in anger as I threw her into the grown a few meters away. She landed soft in the snow and didn't attempt to get up.

With vampire speed I appeared beside her and bent down. "You will regret defying me and will beg for death when I am finished punishing you" I hissed at her. I didn't really mean it, I wanted her by my side but I needed her to know that I meant business. She obviously needed to learn her place and respect again. Too bad I had already given Bobby, Sam and Bill their lesson already or else I would have given them the lesson together.

Bringing my hand down with inhuman force I broke one of her legs. She screamed in pain, her little human body not handling as much as her tiger body. Ignoring her I did the same thing to the other.

"Eric STOP" I heard Sookie shouting from inside of the house but ignored her as well. It was important for me as a Sheriff and Timmie's Master to show that I didn't tolerate disobedience. To Sookie, my handling of Timmie probably looked horrible, torturous. But my Timmie knew she had to take everything I gave her, she knew she deserved it. One thing I was proud of was her understanding for taking punishments when she did something wrong and now was no exception.

"I will not tolerate this behavior, Timmie" I said and snapped her spine in her lower back. She was clenching her teeth, trying to stop her hard sobbing as she lay in the snow, blood seeping from her body. "I know, Master. Please!" she stammered in pain.

"You need to learn your lesson, slave" I hissed and brought my hand a little higher up, breaking her spine in a different place. She moaned in pain but I could see her little nod. My own blood was rushing through me as I bent down and bit her hard in her neck, sucking out her blood.

"ERIC" I could hear Sookie shouting again, but this time she was closer. Dropping Timmie down to the ground while I licked away the blood on my lips in turned around. Sookie was standing outside of the door, looking disgusted and totally broken when she reached out and opened her arms to me.

I was only using a second to feel confused before I used my vampire speed and appeared right before her, dragging her into my arms. Feeling her legs go out underneath her I held her tight to my body as she cried into my chest.

I was in heaven having her in my arms again. "Shhh" I soothed her, stroking her hair and kissed the top of her head. "It will be alright, I got you lover." I said but it only made her cry harder. "Don't worry, I'm here. I'm not letting anything hurt you" I tried again. "Can you invite me in, love?" I whispered soothingly.

Her breath hitched as she tried to speak though the heavy crying and eventually I heard her "come in."

Kissing her on top of her head again, I carried her into the house and placed her in the coach before the fireplace. Then, I used my vampire speed out to Timmie who still lay lifeless in the snow. Her body was already healing but she was still in pain. Cradling her in my arms I bit my wrist and placed it at her mouth. She looked up at me in confusion, not used to me helping her heal after a punishment.

"Drink" I urged her on. She did as I told and I lifted her from the ground and brought her inside as well. "I love you little sister " I whispered in her ear and placed her in another couch that wasn't occupied by Sookie.

Satisfied, I rushed back to my lover and lifted her into my arms again and sat down with her in my lap. She turned to me and cried into my neck. Why she cried, I had no idea but her pain was hurting me as well, and I tried to calm her down again.

The sun was only hours away and I wanted to get us on a plane back to Shreveport as fast as possible. Sookie had finally stopped crying but was still clutching herself to me tight to my very pleasure.

When I tried to speak with her, she didn't answer. I lifted her chin so I could look into her eyes. Something inside of me bolted when I noticed the familiar light in her eyes was gone. She was staring at me, but her eye wasn't focused on anything. It was like she had retreaded to a place inside of herself, like a vampire in down time.

I didn't like it, and I knew I needed to get her home so everything could be okay again. Timmie was moving on the couch, healed and concerned about her friend.

"Go pack only the most important things. We will leave for home in one hour." I ordered her and shifted my attention back to the fairy in my arms.

"Don't worry, lover. Everything will be okay" I said again and tightened my grip around her, pressing my lips against her forehead. "We are going home."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, let me know what you think! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Just wanted to "defend" Eric's actions in this story a little... I am glad most of you can read between the lines and be somewhat positive to the story while he does all of his stupid mistakes… I know he is dark (as I have warned you all of) but I think he is only showing a glimpse of how ruthless he really can be (he have after all survived for over a thousand years and probably not just because he was being nice). As said before; he still has his soft side (like he showed in Sookie's "dream"). I won't have a lovey-dovey romance where they suddenly realize their love for each other and everyone's happy. If it happens at all, it will take a long time! Sookie won't just forget about his horrible actions towards Timmie, Sam or herself… This will be brought up in a later chapter so I won't say anything more about it… But you can't hate a lion for eating an antelope ;-)**

**Still beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! **

* * *

**Sookie POV**

I didn't know what to do. I hurt so bad I was certain my soul was broken. Why I still was in Eric's arms I didn't know. Trying to get him feeling guilty, irritate him because I knew he hated it when women cried, get his shirt ruined by my tears… There were lots of explanations I could come up with. Crying while clutching him tight gave me some sort of comfort as I crushed him in my arms and kill him with my tears.

I knew he would win. I knew I was only stalling by denying him access to my home. When he had commanded Timmie to hand me over, I felt it. Something inside of me shattered completely. Still, she proved herself to me by disobeying him. I somehow knew she was telling the truth earlier and didn't know Eric was my stalker.

Seeing her tortured expression made me vomit in my mouth before I collected my courage and walked outside to face my captor. When his arms closed around me my legs finally gave away.

It was amazing how many tears I shed. When Eric still hadn't let go of me as we sat on a plane I finally stopped. I did register both him and Timmie trying to get my attention, but I was too deep in my own thoughts to care.

I hadn't said goodbye to my friends. I was certain I never would see Barry again. Never mind my house or my furniture; I would probably never walk around in my woods again. Never make another meal in my kitchen, take a bath in the tub or sleep in my bed. Christmas was only three weeks from now where I and Timmie had planned to spend together in our home. Well, not anymore.

For the rest of my life I would be Eric's puppy, blood bag and sex toy. Only used when he needed me and then expected to stay home with no work or no possibilities to get somewhere in the world.

I didn't know how long I had been lost in my thoughts but something cold running down my throat brought me back. Focusing my eyes as the person in front of me, I saw Timmie with a bottle of water.

"Sookie, please say something?" she whispered. The worried look on her face was sad to look upon.

"Where is he?" I whispered noticing he was gone.

"The sun is up. He is resting right now, but when we land it will be nightfall." She studied my eyes. "You're no longer the same. I can see you are breaking."

A tear run down my chin as she grabbed my hand. "You're so cold! Keep your hand in mine" she said and sat down in the seat beside me, resting her head on my shoulder.

We sat in silence for a while. "It's easy to fall apart completely." I whispered more to myself than Timmie, staring blankly out in the air in front of me.

"I have lived with Eric before Sookie. He was the one who saved me and John from the Pits. I was only twelve years old at the time. He and Pam have taught me everything I know, they practically raised me. They are good vampires, Sookie, deep down. You just have to get to know them. Maybe this isn't going to be so bad" Timmie said hopefully. I knew she was only trying to make me feel better, but there was nothing she could say to help me.

I turned to her angrily. It wasn't like it was her that was forced away from home. She was clearly on Eric's side. Had she already forgotten about Landon, or couldn't she see the similarities in our situation? "The world I knew won't come back. The time I've lost I can't get back. The life I had won't ever be mine again. It's his!" I hissed, tears welling up in my eyes again.

"Timmie, I don't want to be with him. I want to live a normal life, a vampire free life, where I can make my own decisions and have control over my own emotions." I cracked up again and had to stop my rambling. Collecting myself again I took a deep breath. "I don't care what happens anymore. When he starts feeding me more of his blood I will be forever lost. I can't win whatever I do."

Timmie had been silently crying through my rant. "I can't afford to care. I can't afford to care" I mumbled and withdrew myself from my mind and into the thinking-like state I had been in earlier. I just needed to distant myself from everything and everyone.

What only seemed like minutes but were truly hours of staring out in the air, the plain started too decent from the sky. Outside the sun had been swallowed by the earth in twilight.

Beside me a person in black clothes appeared. I knew it was Eric, feeling his eyes staring at me to the point where it felt like he burned my skin. I didn't care, ignoring him and kept staring right ahead of me.

"We are home" He said and reached out his hand for me. I took my time but eventually accepted it and rose from my chair. The car ride was silent and tense. But I didn't care. I couldn't afford to care. I didn't bother to think anymore, Eric would probably be doing that for me and make my decisions from here and now.

"Where are we going?" I heard Timmie ask. "One of the houses the Queen doesn't know about." Eric answered. I could hear them talking in the background of my own thoughts as I looked outside the window at all of the familiar places I had left for six months ago.

Climbing out of the car, I looked up at the house that would be my prison. It was a plain house, nothing out of the ordinary in the small neighborhood. Walking before my captor towards the front door I felt like a person that was walking towards their own death. Before I reached the door it opened and I was greeted by Pam.

The careless expression on her face matched mine precisely as our eyes met. "Sookie, or is it Hannah now? I hope your vacation was as terrible for you as it were staying behind here for me" she drawled.

I stopped to look at her. "Where is my room?" I asked, ignoring her comment.

She raised her eyebrow and glanced behind me, probably at Eric. "I'll show you" Eric said behind me. Walking through the house and down in the basement I discovered that the plain house wasn't as plain as I had thought. Eric locked us through some doors and we entered what seemed like an own apartment.

"This is yours." He said and opened another door that led into a bedroom. "That is the closet and there is the bathroom" he pointed at two different doors before he turned to me and looked at me. Without saying anything further I walked to the bed, lay down and pulled the covers over myself, back facing Eric.

"Are you hungry? Do you need anything?" He said casually but I could hear the curiosity and a hint of irritation in his voice.

I closed my eyes and tried to get my brain to shut down on me.

"Sookie please understand that I know how you feel. But know that I am doing this to protect you." He said in a gruff voice.

"You don't understand me and don't try to understand me because your words just are not enough." I said weakly, trying to hold my tears back. I was waiting for a reply when, to my relief, he decided to leave me alone. Finally able to relax a little, I fell asleep.

**Eric POV**

I thought I would be feeling joy or something like excitement. I was glad to have my lover back, but I couldn't help to feel worry about her appearance. She looked so broken, not acting like the feisty woman I thought she would. All I wanted to do was to keep her in my arms and comfort her.

I was confused. This was not what I had planned to do at all.

I walked out of her bedroom, irritated and found Pam and Timmie in the living room. They were sitting in the couches, opposite each other trying to stare the other down.

"Anything happened when I was gone?" I sighed and slumped down in the couch beside Timmie.

"The Queen called again. She expects you to call her." Pam snarled, breaking the eye contact she had with Timmie and looked at me with her calculating gaze was studying me up and down. "How's the fairy?"

I thought back to my Sookie again. It wasn't like her to not put up a fight. "Not well. There is something… bothering her" I said truthfully.

Pam only rolled her eyes. "Well, what did you expect; you didn't just take her against her will, but you had to take the tiger with you as well. I do very much understand her depressed human state."

Timmie growled beside me. "I have enough problems with Sookie at the moment, if you two start up again with the bad behavior, you will both wish I wasn't your Master" I said irritably. I wasn't in the mood to deal with their bashing each other.

Pam stood from the couch and walked to the door leading upstairs. She was going to Fangtasia, something I should consider doing as well. Before she walked away she turned around. "Just give her some time to get used to the idea of living here Master." She disappeared and I felt reassurance seep through out maker/child bond.

"What will happen now?" Timmie pulled me out of my thoughts and crawled up to snuggle into my side.

"I need to alert the Queen but will wait as long as I can. Besides, I need to form a bond with her first" I said and pulled in a breath, smelling my little tiger. She didn't say anything but I could feel the conflict inside of her.

"Do you feel different with Landon gone?" I asked, knowing he was her mate. I had of course done my background check and knew all about my Timmie.

"Relieved." She whispered.

Cradling her in my arms, I stood up and brought her to my own bedroom. "I want you beside me" I whispered and nuzzled her neck. Using my vampire speed to remove our clothes I entered the bed and pulled to cover over us.

Timmie snuggled into my chest and I took comfort in her presence. I knew she wanted to say something, but still she kept quiet.

After one hour of snuggling I dragged myself away from a sleeping Timmie and dressed quickly. I stood outside of Sookie's door and heard her still crying. Why was she crying so much? I knew she wanted to be with me deep down inside, so why she was so sad I couldn't understand. Fighting the urge to enter her room, I followed Pam and headed to my bar.

The vermin was happy for my return. A group of girls was especially daring tonight. Flashing my fangs in threat, the squealed and giggled before whispering to each other _I almost touched him!_

Rolling my eyes I caught a glimpse of Pam's amused face. It disappeared fast when a foul smell hit my nose. Shifting my gaze my eyes landed on Compton. Fucking hell, this night couldn't be any worse.

"Eric, I can smell her on you" he snarled as he stood before me. I smirked, keeping up the appearance. "That is no way to greet your Sheriff."

"What have you done to her? I knew you kept her hidden somewhere" he hissed and dropped his fangs.

I stood from my throne and towered over him. "Remember who you talk to, _Bill_" I said calmly.

"When I tell the Queen about this-"He snarled, but was cut off by my hand around his throat.

"Wasn't your stay here enough for you Bill? Or do you want another round with Pam in the basement?" I growled and let my own fangs drop. The group of girls gasped and giggled again, oblivious to the danger.

Bill's eyes flashed with fear before he tried to cover up. "The Queen won't allow it" he said hoarsely, forcing himself to speak even with the tight grip I had around his neck.

"As I understand, she had yet to punish you for the loss of her new asset. I am sure I can convince her to hand over the punishing to me" I smiled, feeling Bill tremble under my hand.

"I want to give you a little advice, Bill." I said and let go of him to sit down in my throne again, calming down.

Bill was clenching his jaw, trying to control himself. I smirked, feeling almost sorry for how pathetic he was. "Lay low for a while" I said and stared him down. I could see him thinking hard and dismissed him before he could say anything else.

The giggling girls approached me again and I sent them a seductive smile. Grabbing the nicer one of them, I brought her into my office. Using my glamour, I made her think that we had the best sex in her life; I fed and pushed her outside again. I hadn't fed of a human in a long time, only craving my Sookie. But after Bill, I needed something with more life in it than the bottle of synthetic blood.

As usual I wasn't satisfied though, and just wanted to go home to my lover. Instead I slumped down in my chair and started on some paperwork. We were nearing the end of the month and the Queen expected more money since it was nearing Christmas and the vermin apparently liked to go out and throw their money away more than usual.

I finished up the paperwork and headed out in the bar again. I knew I needed to bond with Sookie, and fast, so I could call the Queen and let her know I got her. The Queen would know about Sookie one way or another anyway. It was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Two hours later I had had enough and sipped my way to Pam. "I am leaving" I said and took off into the air.

Back in the house, I hurried down to the light tight area where the bedrooms were. Outside of Sookie's door, I could still hear the low sniffling. She was still crying? Gently I knocked on the door. When no answer came, I opened the door and walked inside irritated.

Met with the smell of her tears and seeing her on the bed made my inside hurt again and the frustration disappear. She looked at me with blood red eyes and no expression on her face what so ever.

"Sookie, I need you to take some of my blood and I'm yours" I said softly, not wanting her to start crying again and walked calmly over to her bed and sat down.

"Lover, please understand that I do it to protect you. I want you to be happy" I said to try and comfort her. She only stared blankly at me and opened her mouth. When she didn't say anything I understood that she was accepting. Somewhat relieved and pleased, I bit into my wrist and put it to her mouth. She didn't suck on it like I had hoped she would, but she swallowed and that was more important.

Leaning over her, I pushed her hair aside from her neck and dropped my fangs. I kissed the spot where I planned to bite while I tried to keep calm. This was what I had been waiting for, longing for in over six months now. Finally I was going to taste her again!

Trying to keep my excitement down, I carefully pushed my fangs inside her neck not to hurt her. I was expecting an explosion in my mouth, to taste the sun and see stars, but when her blood filled my mouth I knew something was very wrong.

She didn't taste the same as I could remember. Her blood was colder. I couldn't taste the sun. It was like it was lifeless, just like a regular fangbanger. When I checked our connection to feel the familiar lust anyone would get while feeding or being fed from by me, I found nothing of that sort.

The pain and hopelessness was still present, and a dull feeling of nothingness. I withdrew from her neck and looked at her in confusion. I couldn't bear the feelings she was sending me anymore and closed the bond. To my surprise, her face didn't reveal anything of her inner turmoil like I thought it would. She wasn't even crying.

She was looking back at me, straight in her eyes where I could see… nothing.

The more I looked the lees I liked. Her fire was gone, the light inside of her. It was almost like I was looking at a different person inside of Sookie's body. Trailing a finger over her closed lips, I felt her body shudder. That at least, was a good sign.

Taking Pam's advice, I stood up from the bed. She only needed time. I knew she would come around to me. Without saying anything, I turned and walked away.

**Sookie POV**

I knew I couldn't fight Eric. When he came inside to start the blood bond I didn't feel anything. I didn't fight him. Reluctantly I opened my mouth and waited for him to feed me his blood.

His blood was rich and strong, but it felt like poison running down my throat. I was withdrawn into myself and barley felt it when Eric sunk down into my neck. I could feel the bond taking place and Eric probing around in it, and didn't bother to block it.

When he pulled away I could see the confusion and worry in his eyes. When he left I rolled over to my side and fell asleep.

I was woken up by someone nudging me. Turning around, I found Timmie inches from my face. "I brought you breakfast" she smiled. I looked down and saw the tray she was holding. This was the first time she had ever made me anything. I was always the one in the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry" I said and turned back to sleep.

The next time I woke was of a knocking sound on my door. "Sookie, you should really come and eat some dinner." I heard Timmie from the other side.

"Go away" I replied back and tucked the covers over my head.

Something was stroking my hair the next time I opened my eyes. I was about to shout at Timmie that I wasn't hungry, when I saw it was Eric sitting by my side. He was so handsome and I wanted to lean into his touch, where his fingers made goosebumps erupt on my body where he trailed them. Though, I knew it was just the blood he had been feeding me to feel the desire and refrained from giving into him.

Without saying anything he lifted me up in his arms and slid in behind me. I rested my head back on his shoulder, waited for what I knew would happen. As I though, a bloody wrist appeared in front of me and I opened my mouth without protesting.

Like last time I hardly felt it when he bit me in my neck, instead I felt the bond get stronger. I could feel his longing, confusion, desire, hate and worry at the same time. When the wound on his wrist closed, I lay still and waited for him to go away.

He probed the bond and I didn't prevent him for checking in on me. He was still confused and anger was building inside of him fast. Everything happened fast, and before I could blink, he was gone and I was again alone in my room.

I closed my eyes and felt the rush of his blood inside of me. I had been lying in bed for some time now, and couldn't ignore my bladder anymore. Standing from the bed, I felt strong as ever with Eric blood's inside of me.

While in the bathroom I decided to take a shower. As I stood there I thought again about my situation. I wondered if Eric would let me see Jason or Sam. Probably not. Finishing my shower I dried up and crawled into the bed again, falling asleep.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts!**

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**Eric POV**

When I had risen, Timmie told me that Sookie had been sleeping the whole day, not even eating anything. I was beginning to get very frustrated. Why was she acting like this? I could feel she wanted me through the bond, but the pain and sadness was crushing it down. I had tried to hold her in my arms as we made the bond stronger to lure some emotions out of her.

When she didn't respond, I was angry. What the fuck was she doing to me? I was supposed to claim her, fuck her, and make her mine. And now, each time I looked at her or probed the bond I felt her pain and distress.

I needed to create the blood bond soon since my time was running out. But creating a blood bond was something I wanted my lover to be a part of. I only needed to exchange blood once more to make the bond permanent.

I remembered Tora's speech about how to treat her. I decided I needed to do something to get Sookie out of her misery.

I didn't bother to knock when I entered her room. She was sleeping in her bed and I gently shook her. "Get dressed, we are leaving in ten minutes" I said and walked outside in the living room to wait for her.

I could hear her sighing and the sound of clothes as she dressed. At least, she did what I told her to do. But somewhere in my mind I wished she could out up a fight, like she normally would have done.

I was sitting on the couch when the door to her bedroom opened. I checked her up and down, but didn't find her arousing like I used to when I reached her face and eyes. Her emotions were ruining it for me. I needed to get her happy. I couldn't help feeling frustrated. My well thought out plans on how to punish her from leaving me didn't even get me excited anymore!

"Come" I snapped and led her up the stairs to the ground floor and the garage. "Get in" I ordered and clenched my fists when she did. She wasn't supposed to obey me this easily!

I started up the Corvette and pulled out of the garage. As I drove I glanced at Sookie. She was leaning back in her seat and had her eyes closed.

"If you want we can go to see your brother later?" I suggested, trying to get her to say something. She opened her eyes to look at me, surprised.

"Are you hungry?" I asked again, when she didn't answer. "No" she mumbled and stared out of the window. Finally, the bond said that she that was feeling confused. I couldn't help to smile a little when I felt a little bit of her feeling suspicious as well. That was more like her!

When I took a turn and started driving up Hummingbird road, she looked at me again. After a few minutes we were parked outside of her house. I sat quietly, waiting for a reaction that never came. I could see her trembling in her seat and hear her heart rate increase.

Without saying anything I opened my door and vamped around the car to open the door for my lover. I reached out my hand and felt the heat from her hand as she accepted. I held her hand and sent her calm as we stepped up the porch stairs to the front door. The tension inside my lover was almost making her shake as I opened the door and nudged her hand to make her follow me inside.

I studied her carefully when she looked around in her home. "You haven't changed it!" She said suddenly and I felt a little spike of joy even though her features didn't change.

"Why would I? I bought this house for you." I said and crossed my arms in front of my chest and leaned my back against a wall.

Sookie didn't know what to think of this. Why did Eric bring her here? Just to rub it in that she was back and in his hands like he had foretold? She was grateful that all of Gran's stuff was still there and unharmed, but… something was not right. He was up to something. Probably wanted to get in her pants or drink more of her blood. But why bring her here?

"Sookie" I could tell she was thinking hard, and drew her attention back to where it belonged. Walking over to her, I tried to find the familiar light that was always in her eyes. At a loss as to what to say, I did the only thing I hoped would work. I bent down and placed my lips softly on hers. She still tasted sweet, but her smell was different, just like her blood.

Desire sparked through the pain and she finally kissed me back. When I pulled back she had once again tears in her eyes. "I hate you so much, Eric!" She whispered. I didn't like the sound of it, but it was better to have her talk than withdrawn like she had been since I got her. Besides, I still remembered what she said in "her dream". She hated me, but she also loved me.

Her blond hair was matted and hung heavy around her head. "Please Sookie. I want you to be happy being mine. I don't want you to hate me. I can give you everything you want." I took her hand in mine and pulled her with me to her living room.

She didn't answer and I reluctantly pulled out the sheet of paper I had in my pocket and handed it to her. "What's this?" She asked and looked at me with the careless eyes.

"Like I said, I want you to be happy." I said and mentioned for her to open it.

Sookie trembled opening the paper. She widened her eyes in shock as she read the house was again in the Stackhouse name. He was giving her house back to her, just like that? Anger was the only thing bubbling inside of her. He really didn't get her at all. She ripped the paper apart and threw it in his face and stood from the couch.

"What are you doing" I snarled, astonished by her behavior. "I don't want this house Eric! This isn't my home anymore! I DON'T WANT IT" She shouted and ran out of the house. Furious I followed her and stopped her. "Why are you acting like this? I am trying to make this easier for you!" I hissed.

She was crying again and I had to catch her before she fell to the ground. Growling out in anger I pushed her a little less gently into the car. She pulled her knees to her chest and kept on with the crying. Not in the mood to give her any comfort, I started the car and pressed it to it limits to get home as fast as possible.

When I parked in the garage, Sookie was again withdrawn and distant from everything that happened around her. Angry and not caring anymore, I dragged her out of the car and carried her down to her room where I disposed her on the bed.

I was pacing the living room, listening to her cry and thinking about what to do next when Pam entered the room. "Eric, you need to calm down" She drawled.

I only glared at her. "What happened?" She sighed.

I took an unnecessary breath to help get myself under control. "I tried to give her house back. I tried to be nice. I can't take her pain anymore Pam." I said and forcefully pushed some of Sookie's feeling over the bond and to Pam.

She stiffened on the couch before composed herself. "Fucking fairy" she grumbled and started to pace beside me.

Pam had been more than excited to get Sookie back. That meant more fun, and a normal Maker. But this was ridiculous. She knew from reading Dear Abby what Sookie might go through, but she was seriously overreacting.

I felt Pam stepping closer and sent me calm and determination. She was looking at me with the same pleading eyes she always used when she wanted a new pair of shoes.

"What?" I hissed. I didn't want her pitying me, or telling me how weak I looked. I knew I was doomed by my lover.

"Give her time to process what is happening. I'm sure she'll see reason soon enough." She said and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I hope so, Pam." I said and slumped down in the couch. I hated having these _feelings_!

"Where's Timmie?" I asked as I closed the bond completely to my lover. "She's at Fangtasia, serving her punishment." Pam said and smirked. I nodded and stood from the couch again, starting to pace.

"Pam, we need to call the Queen and let her know we have located Sookie soon. If she finds out we have had her without informing her we will both get punished for treason against the Queen and will face the true death."

She nodded in understanding. "You take care of Sookie and I will keep my eyes on Timmie." She suggested and headed towards her bedroom.

Yes, that was just what I was going to do; take care of Sookie.

I rushed into her room, startling her. "Stop with the fucking crying" I snarled. I was sick and tired of her behavior. I hadn't lived over a thousand years to end up like this.

When she listened, and stopped to stare at me, I snapped. Before I know what I was doing, her closet lay shattered in the other side on the room. "Stop obeying me!" I roared.

**Sookie POV**

I was so shocked I didn't know what to say or do. When Eric brought me to my old house I was torn between being happy and completely devastated all over again. My tears won the fight, when he obviously was so wrong. He thought he knew me, thought he could give me what I wanted. But he couldn't give me anything of the things that I _really_ wanted.

I had withdrawn into myself, my own little safe haven where no one could hurt me and where I didn't think. I was crying again in self-pity when he came in and started to yell at me.

"Stop obeying me" he shouted and flashed his fangs to me in anger. Why the fuck was _he_ mad? He wasn't the one who was ripped away from his homes and dreams!

"No matter how hard I try you're never satisfied!" He yelled and took two steps towards me and stood beside the bed. I was beginning to feel a little afraid with his furious state and threatening fangs. I still didn't know what to say, so I just kept quiet, looking at him. "I have given you our own room, giving you my blood to protect you, given you your house back, offered you to see your brother or that dog and yet you hate me!" he kept shouting.

Now, I was angry. He was suffering? I hadn't even done anything to escape him, just doing as I was told, and now he wants me to disobey? And then be happy when he took me outside of his stupid house, offering me to see my friends and brother like I should be thanking him and kissing his feet?

"What do you want?" I finally decided to say, but it only came out as a whisper.

"What do I want? I want you to start and act normally!" he hissed. "And get rid of those stupid emotions of yours!"

"I am human, I can't help having emotions!" I huffed. "Then why are you feeling like you do?" He said and actually looked confused and hopeful that I would revile the answer.

Was he kidding me? I knew he was a thousand years old but he clearly lacked a few brain cells. Instead of answering I concentrated on not to start to cry again. His features softened as I stared at him, unable to answer when I didn't trust my own voice.

He looked up muttering something in a different language before he slowly slid into the bed and circled his arms around me. I didn't protest, I knew he would only force me anyway. When he touched me I felt calmer at once, as I took comfort in his large frame. "You can't offer me what I want, Eric." I eventually whispered after a while in silence.

I wanted to withdraw into myself, but the feeling of him beside kept me. I knew it was only his blood inside of my body that was messing with my own judgment. I kept reminding myself that he only wanted me for my blood, body and curse. I thought about home, about Barry and the library, anything else beside the feel of him beside me.

"I can give you anything in the world Sookie. Just be you, be mine and everything will be fine." He murmured into my hair.

I wanted to protest, wanted to tell him down. But I knew it was useless and by that, I kept quiet. "Even if you say it'll be alright, you still want to end my life." I said instead.

"You're wrong" he said and gripped me a little tighter. "I'll keep you alive if you show me the way." He whispered. I shuddered, feeling his lips against my ear. Through our now strong bond, I knew it was hard for him to talk like this, to express his feelings. I also knew by myself that he was just trying to lure me into a false safety.

"I'm already dead." I whispered. I would never get my life back, my home back, and my control. Tears started to run down my face again.

"Sookie, I won't turn my back on you. If you fall then I will too. I am with you forever, until the end." He said and put a hand under my chin to get me to look at him. "Please trust me. I only want what's best for you."

I pulled away harshly, trying to hold my focus on my _own true_ emotions and not the emotions his blood was creating in me. "Stop it, Eric! I won't ever forgive you for what you have done. You can use me all you want, feed me your blood and tell me your sweet lies. Just know I will never be yours in my heart!" I cried and pulled away and stood from the bed.

I thought I saw a flash of hurt cross over his face before he growled and stood on the other side of the bed. "I am not lying to you, Sookie. I want you, you are mine. Being a vampire is hard enough without you fucking it up with your silly emotions!" he snarled, back in the angry threatening vampire mode.

"My _emotions _are the only real thing left in me! You have stolen it all you greedy bastard, you will get what you deserve!" I shouted through my tears. He suddenly appeared in front of me with furious expression. "Do _not_ shout at me like that, _lover_" he hissed.

My vision was blurry from all the tears that were gathering in my eyes as I tried to hold them at bay. Without any warning, a bloody wrist smacked me right in the mouth as I felt his fangs pierce my neck. My scream was muffled by his bloody wrist and I couldn't do anything else but to swallow. Angry I bit him as hard as I could.

**Eric POV**

I had decided to not take her shit anymore. I wanted my feisty lover back! When she _again_ killed the rage inside of me with that innocent look I prayed to Odin to give me strength before I took her back into my arms. She still didn't believe I could give her the world if I wanted to. I knew what she wanted! She had told me in "her dream" why she had left, the words still imprinted in my mind.

"_I don't want to be a kept woman. I don't want to live a life with danger and being in a prison. I don't want the false feeling through the bond. I don't want to hear you say that you will protect me and I will be safe with you, that I don't need to fear. That I can trust you… Only to find out when I finally trust you and believe in you, you will let me down." _

She was all wrong. She would not be my kept woman, whatever that was. She was my lover, my equal. We wouldn't live a life in danger, if only she accepted me and let her inside her heart and me in hers. We would be one, unsinkable, the top in the world, all that mattered to each other. I wouldn't let anything happen to her. I knew she thought the bond gave her false emotions, but they only increased the ones she already had. The bond couldn't make new emotions!

I COULD protect her, I COULD keep her safe and I COULD keep her from feeling fear. She COULD trust me, and I knew that when she finally did believe in me, I would NOT let her down. I felt the same for her as I felt for Pam, Timmie but most of all; Godric. I loved her. I wanted to tell her bad, but I couldn't get myself to say it.

When she lay in my arms I felt complete. I spoke softly, reassuring her I would never leave her, as Tora had advised me to do. That's when she lashed out again.

My anger returned immediately when her words was like a punch under my belt. Without thinking, I tore into my wrist and pushed it into her moth before I lashed onto her neck with no gentleness like she was any common fangbanger. Her muffled scream pierced me right through my heart when she surprised me and bit down hard on my wrist.

LUST

Lust was all that clouded my mind, and I didn't know if it was my lover's feelings or mine. I growled when I heard her moan and before I knew what I was doing, she was underneath me on the bed. I grinded my hips into her as I continued to drink her lifeless blood in deep pulls. She was sucking hard on my wrist and shuddered as my free hand started groping her.

She moaned again and wrapped her legs around my waist to pull me closer. When I felt the wound on my wrist close, I pulled it away as I pulled away from her neck and kissed her hard. I was about to undress us when my hand froze. Again I carefully checked the bond. Yes, definitely lust. Pulling away from her, I saw her empty eyes were clouded by it.

Before I could do anything else, I disappeared from her room and into my own and started to destroy it. I was acting like a newborn, for fucks sake! Getting bitten was highly arousing for a vampire. Especially if it was your lover who bit you, while feeding and making a last exchange in a bonding. We were now bonded. I roared again in frustration. I had bonded myself with her by hurting her, manipulated her with my own emotions and done exactly what she had said. Let her down.

"Eric, calm the fuck down." Pam burst into my room. "Oh, I see you have … redecorated." she said dryly and looked around in my broken bedroom.

I had a hand around her throat before she could see me move. "You do _not _want to mess with me right now, _child_" I whispered dangerously. "Leave" I commanded, and she was gone the minute I loosened my grip.

I could feel the lust I had been forcing on my bonded fade from her, and confusion took its place. Then, as I had feared, the usual distress, pain, hopelessness and extreme sadness. I didn't know what to do, it hurt so badly. I closed off the bond completely, not wanting to feel her anymore. I could hear her crying again and couldn't bear to stay in the house; I couldn't be near her at all, I needed to get away.

I left the house with vampire speed and took to the sky. I didn't know where to go, or what to do. I had never in my life felt as lost and frustrated at the same time as I did now. I wished Godric could have been here, he would have told me what to do. Thinking about Godric, I landed deep inside a forest and started to dig a hole in the ground.

I had been born in the ground; it was only natural to a vampire to feel safe in it. It was still a few hours until sunrise but I didn't care. All I wanted was to die for the day and forget about what had happened, and what my lover had shouted at me. I needed to get some distant from her. I still believed she would come to me, but I decided to let her go for the moment. She was still mine.

I had to call the Queen to report my findings soon. Now that we were bonded, she couldn't take her away from my anyway. But first, I needed to give my lover some time. I knew she would come around eventually. A least I hoped so.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Sookie POV**

It has been three days since I last saw Eric. I was relieved and sad at the same time. He was now my bonded, my body and mind craved his presence, even though I knew it was false emotions. Therefore, I was glad he didn't show up. I couldn't trust myself in his presence anymore. But, I still missed him. Fucking blood!

I had stayed in bed the whole time. Timmie was visiting a few times of day with some food, but I dismissed her almost every time. I was tired of hearing her pleas of me coming outside, to eat more, and to give Eric a chance.

Each time I closed my eyes, I saw him. My usual dreams of him saving me from monsters and other creatures had stopped. Instead I was dreaming of him ravishing me, claiming me and the usual "you are mine" stuff.

"Sookie?" I heard Timmie's voice from outside of the door. I had no idea of what time it was. My room had no windows and I had no clocks either. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, Timmie" I answered into my pillow. I heard the door open and turned around to see Timmie entering with a food tray. The smell of coffee overwhelmed me and I almost threw myself over the mug. "I cooked you breakfast again" Timmie smiled at me. "And this time, it is healthier, like the stuff you used to make."

I tried to smile at her, but I couldn't force myself to do it. It was like my muscles had forgotten how to. "Thank you, Timmie" I said and took another sip of the hot coffee instead.

She sat at the side of my bed staring at me for a while. "How are you feeling?" She said in a low voice and I knew she meant about Eric.

"Just like how you would have felt if you had been forced to mate with Landon" I said not caring that I hurt her feelings.

"It is not the same. Eric is a great vampire, he is maybe a little overprotective but he rules with justice and is a good man." She said, shaky in voice.

I put the mug with coffee down on the tray and stared at her. "How can you say that, Timmie? How can you say that after I saw him break BOTH OF YOUR LEGS and crushing your SPINE WITH HIS HANDS?" I said, raising my voice in desperation.

"He had every right!" she said angrily. "No one has a right to break your bones, Timmie! And you expect me to give him a chance, be nice and love him after I watched what he did to you with no regrets?" I spat.

"You don't understand, Sookie. He is my Sheriff, my Master and he has every right to put me in my place. I suspected for a while that it was him that was looking for you, yet I didn't call to tell him, like I was expected to do. He gave me a direct order to hand you over to him, instead I disobeyed him again! I know you're not very educated on the supernatural world, but it is, and especially in vampire and were-animal worlds, only natural _and you expect_ to be punished when you are disobeying one in your higher rank." She stood from the bed and walked backed away from the door, still facing me.

"Eric usually never punishes me that hard, but I usually never disobey him in such a great offence. He needed to do it, I knew I deserved it and I welcomed it." She was breathing heavily. "Don't try giving us lesson in morals Sookie, and don't you dare hate him, or me, for only doing what is in our nature! You need to remember that everyone isn't a fragile little human like you!" she said and stomped out of my room, slamming the door behind her.

I sat and started at the door in shock for a minute. Timmie had never spoken to me in that way. Suddenly I was feeling very guilty. NOT because I understood that Eric punishing her by breaking her bones was alright, but because that I had hurt my friend. I knew I was acting childish and Timmie didn't deserve my cold shoulder.

I finished eating the bread, purposely avoiding the raw egg that was waggling back and forth on the plate. It almost made me smile, how thoughtful Timmie was, but still so hopeless in the kitchen. Me, trying to teach her cooking and her being my trainer was not working out as well as I had hoped.

Tired of lying in bed for four days I stood up and walked into the bathroom. I still felt shattered right into my very soul, but now I had that little buzz in the back of my head that was Eric, giving me unwanted comfort I clung to so desperately too anyway. Looking into the mirror I gasped. I looked horrible. I almost didn't recognize myself.

I had dark rings under my eyes that looked empty, careless. My hair was matt and lifeless, just like my pale and sunken skin. I looked tired. I looked like I was twice my age. I felt tears pressing again. I really needed to stop soon. I was tired of crying, tired of feeling like this. Everything was Eric's fault! He was the one ruining my life, _twice_!

I pulled off my PJ's and turned on the shower. The hot water was almost scalding my skin but I needed it. I needed physical pain to help me forget the mental pain I was struggling with. It had been in these three days that Eric had left me alone that I wanted him to come to me. I was feeling a pull towards him (that I knew was the bond), I missed him and I wanted to hear his voice. After the blood bond I had a harder time finding out which of the emotions were mine, the bloods' or Eric's. I felt frustrated, longing, lust, hate, pain… I couldn't take it anymore. I considered just giving into him, become his little dog. Shutting down my brain and forgetting all about my home in Sunnew, just being the slave he wanted me to be and hope he would drain me some day.

I finished washing and stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. Standing before the mirror again, I opened it and looked at myself. I hadn't eaten properly for almost a week now. I still had my curves but I could see some difference. Sighing, I got dressed and walked outside of my bedroom for the first time on my own accord to find Timmie.

I found her back in her tiger form, lounging on the floor in front of the couches. She sat up and studied me as I came closer. I sat down on my knees in front of her and stroked her head. "Hey girl" I murmured softly. It was strange how my hands looked like it belonged to a baby in contrast to the large tiger head. She instantly started to purr and rubbed herself in my hands. I wanted to apologize to her but I knew the tiger wouldn't understand me whatever I said. Instead I sat on the couch and waited for her to turn.

She kept rubbing her head on my leg while I watched her. A rush of memories came crashing back to me. The first time I had seen her, coming out from the woods. How afraid I had been. How she had brought home rabbits and other animals she had captured for dinner. The first time I had woken up with her beside me in bed and the night in the snow cave. How she had fought Landon.

She was so brave. Both her human and tiger had fought Landon even though her tiger would have recognized him as a mate and should have followed her nature and let him have her. I wished I could have the same courage as her, but I knew I could never put up a real fight against Eric (or Bill for that matter) and kill him.

I looked around for the first time since I had gotten here. The living room was neat and stylish, in dark wood and heavy furniture. I wondered if it was Pam that had decorated. It wasn't anything like my home.

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up on the couch after feeling a presence by my side. I was staring right into Eric's eyes and was embarrassed to know that he probably knew what I had dreamed about; him. "Good, you are awake." he said, not giving away any emotions. "We are going to see the Queen tomorrow night. Be ready at nightfall." He moved his gaze down to the tiger that was lying at me feet. "Come" was the only thing he said and turned around and left through the door that led upstairs.

Amazed, I watched the tiger lazily stretch before it padded after him. She understood him? '_How was that possible' _I wondered. I opened my mind to see if Pam was around, but found that I was completely alone. Feeling the sudden loneliness I started to cry again. I managed to keep the heavy sobbing I really wanted to do inside, but couldn't help the few tears that ran down my chin. Feeling a sudden need to be gone, I walked into my bedroom and willed myself to sleep, not bothering to pray anymore.

**Eric POV**

I had kept my promise to myself to stay away from Sookie, only checking in on the bond once or twice a day… But I couldn't continue in that pattern when I got a call from the Queen yesterday.

"_I got an interesting visit from Mr. Compton yesterday, Sheriff" Her voice sounded through the phone. _

"_How unfortunate for you, my Queen" I said, fisting my hands in anger and cursed myself for not killing Compton when I had the chance(s). _

"_I demand that you bring the telepath to me right away, Sheriff and I will be easy on the punishment!" She said angrily. _

"_I have some important matters to attend to tomorrow, I will bring her in the night after." I said in my Sheriff voice. _

_The line was silent for a while before she huffed. "Fine, but don't feed her any of your blood. She is to be Compton's human, Sheriff." _

_I released my fangs in anger. That fucking Bill Compton had the Queen wrapped around his finger! She hadn't even punished him for losing her asset in the first place! "I am sorry to inform you my Queen, that she is already my bonded." _

"_WHAT?" She shrieked. "How dare you, you knew I wanted her, Northman! She is going to be working for me, and you should know you have a punishment coming your way!" She hissed into the phone. _

_I smirked. She was only half my age, but I admitted that she had guts. "My Queen, according to my information, you only wanted her for her telepathy. I can assure you that I will not hinder you in using her and are sure that her being bonded to me is a smarter move than bonding her to Compton. I am the oldest vampire in your area and am loyal to only you. I am only glad to draw a contract between you and me on how my bonded will be serving you." I lay on thick, knowing she couldn't deny any my arguments. _

_The line was silent again while she thought. She was probably angry but eventually she agreed. "You are lucky you are my best Sheriff, Northman. Bring her in in two nights, with the contract." _

"_Thank you my Queen, I will be there as fast as I can after first dark" I said formally and we hung up._

That had gone as good as I hoped. I even felt a little excited and hoped Bill didn't get to hear the news before I could be there myself, seeing his reaction. I exited my office and went out in the bar to enthrall the vermin. Behind my throne in a cage, Timmie was pacing and growling dangerously at the fangbangers and tourists that dared to get close to her.

The large cage was stretching behind my throne where both sides disappeared behind the curtains that hung down in each side of the small stage. What the vermin's didn't know though, was that the sides weren't closed, so Timmie could actually go out of her cage anytime she wanted to eat them. The bar had been paced, ever since she had started serving her punishment. The rumors that there was a live and wild tiger in the bar had curious people coming in, only to watch her.

It was her punishment for not alerting me at once when she suspected that it was Sookie I was looking for. I knew she only hated this punishment because she could not eat the people annoying her and watching her all the time. But it was great for business and it amused me to some extent. I also just liked having her close.

I sat supervising the crowd, crushing the tourists mobiles and cameras when they took pictures. It was a regular boring night. Reluctantly I checked the bond but quickly closed it off again when I felt the regular feelings and didn't want to share her pain. I was angry and disappointed enough in myself. I couldn't still believe that I actually had pushed lust on her after the harmfully way I had made our bond permanent.

I could feel Pam's glance from the door, like I did every time I thought about it and felt the rage inside of me bubble. Pam was still not pleased with how I behaved. I knew she still worried about me. But my sudden changes of mood made all the vampires in my area fear and respect me more. The talk of challenging me for my role had died quickly. One of the reasons was how I now handled the cases that came in for me to judge.

As I was thinking about it, two vampires came into the bar. Both were injected with silver in their blood to weaken them. Normally they would just have been chained, but we couldn't have humans to know about our weaknesses.

"Shall we take this downstairs, gentlemen?" I said and stood from my throne. I signaled to Pam, and she nodded understanding and vamped to the throne to watch over the vermin. We needed to keep an eye on Timmie so she wouldn't eat them, and we needed to keep an eye on them in case they took pictures. We didn't want that, especially not the last part.

"So…" I started, looking down at the two vampires in front of me. We were standing in the basement but could still hear the music and people from upstairs.

"Sheriff, I demand that he will get punished for this!" The one I knew was Matthias said. I looked at the one beside him, Hector, and waited for him to speak. They were both the same age, around 200. Matthias was one of the vampires that was mainstreaming, a peaceful and easily controlled vampire. I liked him. Hector however, was more of a troublemaker. I had punished him several times for disturbance of peace in my area and knew he had severed some punishment in others as well.

He looked scared, like he should be. "I didn't know it was his human." He explained.

"You bastard, you could smell me on her from a long distance!" Matthias growled. They both had their fangs halfway down, not managing anymore due to the silver in their blood. I had all the details about what had happened of course. Bloody tears were running down Matthias's cheeks. Perfectly understandable after finding your human lover tortured, raped and drained by the hands of another vampire.

I knew what I would have done to the reasonable if I had found my lover like that. "What shall I do with you?" I spoke slowly, walking in circles around Hector. "You have had many warnings and punishments for your actions. I don't know if I can let this one slide." I said, more to myself than him.

I bit into my wrist and offered it to Matthias so he could get rid of the silver in his blood. "Thank you, Sheriff" he said before he quickly latched onto the wound. His eyes dilated with the power he felt coming through my blood and I smirked, knowing how he was feeling. Each time Godric had given me some of his blood I had been in heaven, feeling that nothing could take me down.

Like the good vampire he was, he let go when the wound closed and thanked me again. I started at the frightened look in Hectors face and narrowed my eyes. "You can punish him however you want in my place." I said, and turned around. "You have one hour. If he meets his final death, make sure to clean up the mess." I said before I walked up the stairs. "Thank you, Sheriff" Matthias said at the same time Hector started to scream and beg for mercy. He knew he was doomed.

Back in my throne, I could hear Hectors screams like all the other vampires in the bar (but none of the humans of course). The look on the younger vampires faces was frightened, while the older was pleased and enjoying the screams. No one liked vampires that killed off other vampires humans!

When the bar closed, I commanded Timmie to change and get in the car to head home.

"You are going to the Queen tomorrow?" She asked me suddenly. "Yes" was the only reply she got.

"Can I come?" She sounded hopeful, and I looked at her. She sat naked, only wearing a Fangtasia t-shirt for modesty in case meeting humans when walking from the bar to the car. I liked the look on her.

"No. You have punishment to serve." I said eventually. I didn't have any good reason to _not _bring her, but I wanted some time with my lover. I didn't know how Sookie was going to react, but if she needed any comfort I would be the one she would get it from and not Timmie (as I knew she would if she came along).

I felt the disappointment and heard her muffle something under her breath, but she bowed her head in submission accepting my answer. "Why is Sookie so… angry?" She asked after a while.

"That is none of your concern." I snapped. Feeling immediately guilty again for keeping Timmie in the dark… We always shared information (neither of us liked the word _feelings_, so we had decided to call it "information about the tings inside") between us.

"I have tried to keep her safe, even when she wasn't my human. I saved her life several times and have an urge to protect her. But the ways I have done it may seem… not so good from her perspective." I said eventually, not wanting to go any deeper in my explanation.

"Have you tried being nice?" She asked innocently. She knew how I could be...

"Yes" I gritted my teeth and gripped harder around the steering wheel. Taking in my tensed sate, Timmie was wise not to ask any more questions.

Finally, in my safe-house again, I entered the code and let us down in the basement. Timmie headed to her room immediately but I wanted to check on my lover. She was sleeping heavily in her bed as I entered her room. I noticed she looked a little fresher than before. I sat down beside her and smelled her. The sweetness that had always intrigued me, the smell of the sun was still gone. I lowered my face to her neck, trailing my fangs over her pulse point. I was disappointed that I didn't find the same excitement and urge to bite her as before, because she was not completely _her_.

She suddenly moaned softly and turned her head towards me, reaching for me. I knew she probably could feel my presence instinctively. I wanted to hold her, lie down and rest beside her. Instead I stood up and walked out of her room without a second glance.

I could feel through the opened bond that she was dreaming about me. I showered off the smell of Fangtasia and shamefully jerked off, thinking about what my lover might dream about before I felt the pull of the sun. Tomorrow we would go to the Queen. Pam would be coming along as backup if anything went wrong. With mixed emotions I let the sun pull me under.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sookie POV  
**I woke up late, finding Timmie in her human form (for once) lying beside me. I had still not gotten rid of the betrayed feelings I had, but I felt guilty for what I had said yesterday. Well, not really for what I had said as I still thought they were all mentally ill but I felt guilty for hurting her.

"I am sorry for what I said, Timmie" I said softly to her back as she was facing the other way. She was wearing one of the pj's she had gotten from me I noticed when she turned around and looked at me. "I am sorry too, Sookie. I know this must be hard for you" she said gathering tears in her eyes. "But I truly believe you could care for Eric if you gave him a chance."

"And I truly believe violence is not the right answer no matter what." I said. She smiled at me and I wanted to smile back, but couldn't. "I know Sookie. Your heart is too pure." She said and grabbed my hand.

"Eric is really acting different than he used to. I can feel his sadness even though he won't admit it. He is devastated. Just like you." She said softly. I knew she was just talking, not trying to feel pity and I tried hard not to care. I could feel him through the bond each time he opened his end. Anger and frustration was what he was feeling most of the time.

Instead of replying to Timmie's comment, I changed the subject. "We are going to the Queen today."

"I know." Timmie said. "I wanted to come, but I am being punished at Fangtasia for a month."

"Is he hurting you?" I asked sharply. "No, nothing physical at least." Timmie's smile reassured me a little, but I was not convinced. "Timmie, you will tell me if he hurts you. I can help you, I won't let him lay a hand on you." I said angrily. "Sookie, I promise you have nothing to worry about!" She said and I could see the sincerity in her eyes. Eventually I nodded.

"I need to take a shower and get ready. Do I need to wear anything special?" I asked Timmie. I knew I probably should, but decided before Timmie could answer that I didn't care. "I'll go back to my room and sleep some more. Don't do or say anything stupid Sookie. If you think Eric is a bad Master, just picture how the Queen or his child will treat you." She said and stood from the bed and stood from the bed.

I frowned, but nodded reluctantly. "I love you, Sookie. Good luck and stay close to Eric!" she said and pulled me into a hug. I knew that would not be something I would do (stay close to Eric) but I chose to not comment. Instead I hugged her back. "I love you too." I sighed.

**Eric POV**

I rose before the sun set. Relaxing in my bed I listened to the sound of the shower coming from my lover's room. She still obeyed me…

Getting dressed, I headed to the kitchen to get a True Blood. I was halfway finished when Pam came out of her bedroom. "Master." She nodded and stole the bottle and drank the rest. She placed the empty bottle on the kitchen table before she drummed her fingers beside it. "What's the plan?"

"We go in, the Queen signs the contract, and we go out." I said simply. I knew it would be more complicated than that but I could always hope.

"Anything I should keep an extra eye on?" She said and raised her eyebrow. "Sookie" I said again simply. Pam snorted in annoyance but didn't say anything else. She knew how important Sookie was to me. As on cue, the door to Sookie's bedroom opened and she came out.

I looked her up and down. She definitely looked a little better but I knew the truth. She stopped outside of her door and started in me and Pam's direction, not really looking at us. Pam turned to me and glared before she headed off towards the door the lead upstairs.

I walked up to my lover and lifted a hand to her chin so I could look into her eyes. She didn't look away, staring right back at me with wide empty eyes. I wanted to know the right words to tell her. I wanted to say I'm sorry but I knew it was not enough. I knew I was probably never going to get her forgiveness. I knew I should probably tell her how to act before the Queen, but somehow I knew that wouldn't be a problem. I wanted to open the bond and send her calm, but I couldn't get myself to do it. It wasn't her emotion.

"Let's go" I whispered softly when I couldn't look her in her eyes anymore. I led her upstairs and out of the house where Pam was waiting ready with a large SUV. I let Sookie get in the backseat before I followed her.

The drive was silent. I could feel Pam's slightly annoyance but didn't care. When I looked at Sookie, she was still not showing any emotions at all. I leaned closer to her and took her hand. "I won't let anything happen to you, Sookie." I said softly. I used the same voice and gentleness I had used on the spooked horses when I was a Viking to calm them down, afraid that if I moved to fast or spoke to loud they would run. I got the exact same feeling with Sookie, only she would go down in downtime.

"I know, Eric" she said without looking at me, or showing any signs of affection at all.

"I won't _ever_ let you down, lover." I whispered in her ear.

**Sookie POV**

His breath made goosebumps erupt on my skin and a shiver run down my back. It reminded me of the time he and Godric had saved me in the church. I turned my head to look at him, feeling his blood in me starting a hot fire in my body. "I know, Eric" I said again.

I knew he would never let me down. I would never give him a chance to do so. I would never expect anything, never give myself hope, and never believe him.

I stared into his eyes, seeing the question in them when he searched mine for truth. It did look like he was pleased when he finally broke our eye contact and stared out the window. He didn't let go of my hand though, something I irritably liked.

The ride took a few hours but we finally arrived. The Queen lived in a huge mansion and tourist was standing outside of security lines, taking pictures while FOTS' followers were trying to save them, pushing "God's opinion" down their throats.

I was still holding Eric's hand… No, Eric was still holding my hand, leading way through the large crowd towards the gates that led up to the Mansion. "Eric Northman, I have an appointment with the Queen." I heard Eric say to a large vampire standing on the inside.

_Fucking fangbanger!.. Need to save her…. Kill all of them… Fucking… _I had been so isolated that I had completely forgotten about my telepathy. I had relaxed my shields in a long time now, and I found it hard to try and put them up. Eric squeezed my hand lightly, before we the gates opened and we were granted entrance.

The thoughts got louder and harder to keep out, as everyone was thinking directly at me. Most of the thoughts were '_Who are they? Why do they get to go inside? Are they vampires?' _but some were damn hateful, probably from the FOTS people.

We were just before the door when it opened by a young man. "Eric, how nice of you to finally show up! Pam." The young vampire nodded his head to both of them. He didn't look like he was any older than maybe 18, but I knew he was a vampire.

"Andre." Eric nodded in return. I noticed however that Pam didn't say anything at all, other than stare at him. Andre smirked, but eventually turned his gaze to me. I got a creepy felling; I didn't like this vampire at all.

"Ahh, there she is." He said and appeared before me. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you? The Queen has been very impatient." He smiled and lifted his hand. Before he could touch me, Eric growled beside me. Andre dropped his hand immediately, but amusement and lust was evident in his eyes.

"Pardon, I forgot you have already bonded to her." He said with a little touch of bitterness when he addressed Eric. "She doesn't smell or look as good as Compton told, though!" Eric didn't say anything and they only stared at each other. "Follow me, the Queen is expecting you" Andre said eventually and turned around to walk inside of the mansion.

Andre led us through a few hallways and eventually stopped before two double doors. "Wait here." He said and disappeared inside. I was feeling as hell, no idea what to expect. I barely noticed Pam switching her weight from one foot to the other and back a few times, almost like she was worried.

I thought it was weird that none of them hadn't given me a lecture about how to act, speak or _not _speak at all. Maybe Eric had told Timmie to do it? Her words still rang in my head; _"If you think Eric is a bad Master, just picture how the Queen or his child will treat you."_

I had never met this Queen or her child as I knew of, but I couldn't help but hope that she maybe was my savior in all of this. Eric squeezed my hand again like he knew what I was thinking, but I didn't get the chance to think about it when another thought entered my mind.

'_She's finally here! I can't wait to see her again!'_

I recognized that voice. Hadley was here? I tensed beside Eric right before the doors opened. Eric held my hand more tightly as we walked inside the large room. It was bright and sunny, even if I knew it was nighttime. The Queen wasn't hard to spot in her long royalty summer dress. Beside her on the floor was a brunette in bikini as I recognized as Hadley. She was beaming at me where she sat, but I was too shocked to even register that Eric had stopped that he had to stop me for me.

"Sookie" Hadley said and looked at her Queen. The Queen nodded and Hadley stood from the floor and rushed over to give me a hug. I didn't return her hug, but was more confused than ever.

'_I knew Sophie would keep her promise!' _"Sookie I am so happy to see you! How have you been? How's Gran? I missed you so much!" She exclaimed and hugged me again. I didn't bother to answer her, but looked at Eric. He was staring at me with a thoughtful expression before realization dawned on him.

"My Queen, a pleasure to see you again as always" Eric turned to the Queen. He only bowed deep while Pam was kneeling before her.

Hadley had let go of my neck and was beaming at me again before she ran back to the Queen and sat down by her feet. The Queen seemed pleased and patted her head like she was a dog.

"I presume your Area is running well, Northman?" The Queen said and mentioned for Pam to stand up. Andre was standing behind her and stared at me.

"Yes, my Queen" Eric nodded. "Good. Then we can move along to the reason you are here." She said and shifted her gaze to me. I had studied her the whole time she had been speaking and met her eyes. "I have been waiting a long time for you, Mss. Stackhouse. But I must say, my little Hadley have almost been more impatient than even I have" She smiled sweetly, still patting Hadley's head.

I didn't look away from her eyes, and I didn't bother to answer her. "My, you have trained your pet well, Sheriff." She said but she was clearly annoyed. I bet she tried to get a ruse out of me, but guess what; I didn't care. I couldn't afford to care.

"She is not my _pet, _my Queen, she is my bonded" Eric said, almost sounding offended. To my right, I could see Pam shifting her weight again. I didn't see her move, but suddenly the Queen stood before us. "I want to speak with your bonded in private."

"I will not allow her to go anywhere without me or my child to accompany her." Eric said a matter of factly. The Queen dropped her fangs, but smiled. "Why, don't you trust me Eric?"

"With all due respect my Queen, I don't trust you any more than you trust me." Eris said, raising one of his eyebrows.

The Queen looked furious, but masked it quickly with a smile. "I am your Queen, and I demand to speak with your bonded in private. Are you denying me, _Sheriff?" _She was almost shouting, staring Eric right in his eyes. Pam shot me a glare and tried to tell me something, but I stood still, not really caring about what was going to happen or not.

"If it makes you feel better, I promise you that if I hurt her in any way you have permission to kill my child." She said in recurrence. I could hear the small 'click' of Eric's fangs. "Fine" he said eventually and withdrew his hand from mine.

The minute he released me, a set of emotions came rushing through me. More tension, unease, fright and worry all at once. All I wanted to do was to grab Eric's hand again so he could make it all go away, but somehow I was also pleased knowing these emotions were my own and not the blood.

"Follow me." The Queen smiled at me and I did as she said. She led me through the doors we had entered and into another much smaller room. "Please, sit" She said and pointed at one on the couches in the room. I did what I was told without arguing, but didn't look away when her eyes priced mine when she sat down in the opposite couch.

"I hope you are not mad at my Hadley for alerting me about you" She said sweetly. This surprised me, but I knew I didn't show on my features when the Queen narrowed her eyes. "I have a proposition for you. I know you don't want to stay with the Viking, anyone with a brain can see that. My offer to you is to stay here. I can make the bond between you and Eric to disappear easily. If you stay here, you are almost free as a bird. You will get your own room, own cook and personal made. You, together with Hadley can do whatever you want." She said excited.

She had my full attention now. If I broke the bond to Eric, I had another chance to escape! "What's the catch?" I asked suspicious. She smiled. "You are of course required to read people in my regime. And I would feel better if you bonded to either me or my child, but since I like you, I'm sure Compton would be pleased if you chose him. That is entirely up to you."

There was no way in hell I would bond myself willingly to the Queen, her child or Bill. But if I agreed and the bond with Eric was broken I had a little window to escape them. That could be enough to disappear for good! I still didn't know how Eric found me, but I was confident that no one would ever find me if I disappeared a second time.

"I will give you some time to think. You can spend the rest of the evening with your cousin; she will tell you more about how it is to stay here." The Queen stood from the couch. "I am not stupid. I know you need to be in top shape not only physical but also mental for the readings to be easier and more accurate. I do want people working for me to be as happy as possible. Think of my offer, and give me an answer tomorrow" She said. I stood and nodded before she led me back into the room where Eric, Pam, Hadley and Andre stood with a few guards around.

I could feel Eric's eyes checking me up and down for injuries or bite-marks. "She is fine, Northman!" The Queen snapped. "The sun is rising in a few hours. I demand your company for a little longer but your child are allowed to leave. You and your bonded will stay until tomorrow."

The tension was thick Eric and Pam changed glances before a door burst open. "Sookeh!" Bill came through the door looking crazy before he suddenly was in front of me. I wasn't thinking but my instinct took over and I took a step closer to Eric. Bill stared at me before he snapped his fangs down.

"What have you done to her?" He shouted at Eric. "Mr. Compton" The Queen started but Bill didn't care. "She was supposed to be MINE" Bill growled. Now, I was irritated. "Sookeh, sweetheart, tell them! Tell the Queen and I will help you" He said and softly touched my face. Eric growled and what seemed like a little push made Bill go flying through the air and land a few meters away.

I only stared at Bill with no expression while he was lying on the floor. "William Compton, if you don't want some punishment I suggest that you don't say another word!" The Queen hissed.

"But my Queen, Eric is destroying her!" Bill insisted and looked into my eyes again.

Eric growled beside me and placed an arm around my waist in a protecting manner. My brain was shouting at me not to take any of the comfort or safety he provided, but my body instantly relaxed against him. Fucking blood bond!

"Enough of this! Mr. Compton, I warned you!" The Queen hissed again. "Andre!" She shouted and two seconds later, Andre and Bill were gone.

"Thank you, your majesty" Eric said pleased. "Oh, hush. Pamela, you are dismissed." She waved at Pam. Eric tensed behind me, but he must have given Pam some sign because she was suddenly gone as well. "Mr. Northman, let's eat before we go through the contract, shall we?" The Queen said and clapped her hands.

Another door opened and four naked women entered through. "I have just gotten new flavors" The Queen said excitedly. She disgusted me, and I almost felt bad for Hadley when I looked at her hurt face. A weird feeling of jealousy seeped into me as well to my irritation. I didn't want to feel like this! I shouldn't care if Eric fed from others, I should be happy! Fucking blood bond!

"Hadley dear, you can give your cousin a tour around. Get something to eat and show her to her room." The Queen addressed Hadley. She had tears in her eyes, but nodded in agreement. She stood from the floor and walked quickly to me. Eric tightened his arm around me before he finally let go so Hadley could drag me away. Again I felt the need to rush back into Eric's arms when he let go of me.

'_Only feeds from me!... Promised…' _Hadley's thoughts entered my mind when she grabbed my hand. We left the room and I glanced back at Eric before the doors closed. The look of longing and sadness met my eyes as I stared at him. Then the door closed and I drew my attention back to Hadley before I could think about Eric anymore.

"I'm sorry" she sniffed and used her hand to wipe the tears of her face. "Sophie usually just feeds from me. I know I can't expect her to _only_ feed from me for the rest of my life, but it still hurts to know that she does it on others." She said and smiled weakly. "Don't you feel the same about Mr. Northman?"

"No" I answered without hesitation. I knew I was lying because hurt and jealousy was exactly what I was feeling. But that wasn't really _my_ feelings so it didn't count.

"Well. Let me show you around, and we'll eat something before I show you where to sleep?" She said and beamed again, all of her hurt feeling forgotten. I didn't have time to respond before she dragged me along with her.

**Eric POV**

I didn't want to let Sookie go when the Queen demanded to speak with her in private. Pam was annoyed but at the same time worried, something I shared with her. I carefully kept a track of the bond with my loved. Besides the usual, I found her surprised and thoughtful. I wondered what they were talking about.

When she finally entered I checked her for any wounds. Her lifeless eyes met mine again when she came to stand beside me. When Sophie-Ann announced that I and my bonded were expected to stay for the day, I knew something was up, especially when she dismissed Pam. I needed to tread carefully. I hadn't much more time to dwell on the possibly situation me and my bonded could be in, when Bill fucking Compton arrived.

I was pleased when Sookie took protection from him by stepping closer to me. If he touched her, he would lose his hand. I regretted for the thousands time that I did kill him in any of the opportunities that I've had.

Bill words angered me to new levels. I circled my arm around her, feeling her relax against me. I did _not _destroy her. Still, I felt guilty because I knew I _was_ the cause of her pain and desperation. I _was_ the one making her retread into herself. When Andre dragged Bill out of the room, I didn't feel any remorse, sadness or grief from Sookie. That was good, that meant she didn't care about Bill.

The Queen demanded again that Pam should leave and I reluctantly obeyed and let Pam go. I didn't want to push my luck with the Queen. I knew I could take her out (even more now that her child was gone) but I didn't want to take over the throne. Though it would have made things much easier….

"Mr. Northman, let's eat before we go through the contract, shall we?" The Queen said and clapped her hands. I sighed bored. All I wanted was really to go home with my lover. To my left, a door opened and four naked women entered through. "I have just gotten new flavors" The Queen said excitedly.

I groaned internally. If I wanted to feed on someone it was my bonded. But even her blood didn't even appeal to me, now that something had changed in her. I smelled the tears of the Queens pet and felt a spike of jealousy from my bonded.

"Hadley dear, you can give your cousin a tour around. Get something to eat and show her to her room." The Queen said to her pet, ignoring her tearful state. When her pet came to take my lover away I tightened my grip. I didn't want to let go of her, and I especially didn't want her walking around alone in the Queens mansion with both Bill and Andre somewhere around. But I couldn't defy _my Queen_ and eventually let go. Without Sookie in my arms I felt incomplete. I wanted her back!

I watched her go with longing. When she turned her head and looked at me, my insides died again by the empty and careless stare in her eyes.

"Well that was certainly entertaining." The Queen drew my attention back to her, as I noticed I had stood still and watched the closed door. "It seems like Compton isn't the only one in love with her" she smirked.

I raised a brow, but didn't bother to answer. "I'll choose first." She turned around to the donors and clicked out her fangs. "You".

The blonde stepped forward and stood before the Queen. I rolled my eyes behind her back. I knew claiming myself not hungry was not an option, so I grabbed the one nearest and sunk my fangs into her neck. The Queen snickered before she mimicked me. Both of the girls started moaning as the others two stood quietly, waiting for orders.

I only took three mouthfuls before I retracted my fangs and pushed the girl away from me. Arousal was heavy in the air as the Queen and her donor got off. I waited for them to finish and probed the bond to my bonded. She was annoyed and impatient. I wondered what she and the Queens pet were doing.

"You two can go to Andre's room and wait for him." The Queen said to the two remaining girls after she had finished feeding from the blonde.

"Now, do you have the contract?" She said and sat down on her throne.

"Yes, your Majesty" I said and handed it to her. "My bonded will be at your service every second month."

"That is not enough" she cut in. "Your Majesty, with all due respect" I started but she cut me off again. "With all due respect, _Sheriff, _she is MY asset and you are lucky I didn't end you for bonding with her. I require her at least once a month, and I will taste her." She said angrily.

"You will not taste her, but I can agree to change the contract to once a month. She will be accompanied by either me or my child, and she will be paid for her work." I said, giving a little authority into my voice. I was after all, twice her age. "You know very well I can just take her and leave. Now, do we have a deal or not?"

The Queen glared at me furious but she knew I very well could do what I pleased. "Fine" she said and handed me the contract back. "Make the adjustments and give me another one to sign."

I had to endure two hours of Yahtzee before the Queen finally felt the suns pull. I being twice her age wasn't affected at all. "I'll trust it that you find your bonded alone?" She drawled and stood up.

"Good night, your Majesty" I said and used my vampire speed to follow the bond to my lover. I had felt the bond slightly spiked with worry and fright before it had dulled down to nothing but the pain, distress and carelessness again. I had wanted to go to her, but the Queen was assuring me that Hadley was fine and I was not dismissed. I growled, thinking about it. I had to do something with that Queen!

Entering a room in the second floor, I found my lover in the large bed. I looked her over for injuries but was satisfied to find none.

Sookie turned in the bed and looked at me. I could feel the desire and lust coming from her but also irritation and pain from seeing me again. I couldn't take it to feel this anymore. Why did she hate me so much?

"Can we talk?" I asked her gently. "I don't want to talk to you" She said calmly. I clenched my fists in frustration. "Why?"

I swept the rooms for bugs while I waited for her answer. When I was satisfied that there was no devices that recorded our conversation, I turned back to her. "Because I don't want to." She said again calmly.

"I want you to give me a better reason than that, lover." I started to pace and closed the bond, not trusting myself. "Well you are not going to get it" she huffed.

"Why are you making this so difficult? I can feel you, Sookie, I know you want me. I can feel that you feel safe and calm with me! I can feel your desire! Why won't you even talk?" I said, raising my voice a little before I calmed down again.

"You feel your blood, Eric, those feeling are _not_ mine!" She said angry and turned around giving me her back.

Oh no, she was not turning her back against me now! I was done; I was not going to let her slip this easily. She would talk, if she wanted to or not!


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews and support! :-)**

**Beta'd by lady Doughnuts! **

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**Sookie POV**

"Sophie is really great Sookie. I know you would love it here! During the day I get go wherever I want, with a bodyguard of course. Sophie gave me a credit card with a _lot of money, _and the best part is that she said I can use as much as I want. At first, I went crazy, buying expensive clothes and shoes and stuff, but now I'm kind of over it, if you know what I mean… I just by gifts for Sophie or stay here, tanning or something. At night I'm with Sophie. She has many things to do since she's Queen and all, but she always takes some time with me. She said she is going to turn me some day, can you believe it? If you ask Eric to change you, we can be newborns together, wouldn't that be just awesome?"

Hadley hadn't stopped talking through the whole tour of the mansion. I had zoned out after five minutes of her rambling on and on of how great we could have it together. It didn't bother her that she was actually the one that had turned my life upside down by telling the Queen about my curse. But after all her non-stop talk, the Queens offer didn't sound so tempting anymore.

Hadley was family, and you always stick to your family! Or so Gran always used to say. But I found it very hard to love her right now… We entered the large kitchen where fresh food was already ready for us to eat. My mouth watered just by looking at it! It wasn't anything like the raw eggs or bloody beef Timmie had brought me.

"So how is life with the great Eric Northman?" Hadley asked wiggling her eyebrows. "I've heard rumors about him. Is he as good as they say?"

"Who are _they_?" I asked, avoiding her question. "Oh, you know… Everyone?" she giggled. "I heard he was huge."

"Well, I don't know anything about that." I said dryly. I had seen Eric before, that one time in the basement when I was looking for Bill (and of course in my dreams) but I had suppressed the memory.

Hedley looked astonished. "How is that possible? I thought you were his?"

"I am. We have a complicated relationship" I said, sighing. I didn't want to elaborate and get more questions I had to answer. "Well… You really should consider it Sookie! He is so handsome, and with all the rumors… I would die to be with him" she giggled again.

"But you have Sophie?" I said, surprised that Hadley would say something like that after how hurt she had been when the Queen only fed on someone else.

"Yeah, she's great! Sometimes we do it with Andre as well. He is really amazing. I bet you could have had a real good time if you'd stayed here" she winked.

I shuddered, feeling disgusted. Instead of answering I ate the food on my plate. "I guess I should follow you to your room. I need to be in Sophie's room one hour before the sun rises. She likes to do it before we go to sleep" she winked again and I almost threw up in my mouth.

We walked up the stairs to second floor and down a few hallways. Suddenly Andre was right in front of us, making me frightened. "Oh God!" Handley shouted and placed a hand over her heart. "I hate it when you do that!" she said, but smiled playful at him.

"Go to your bedroom." He said and I knew he had glamoured her. I was starting to feel a little worried when I suddenly felt a wall against my back and Andre stood before me, too close for my liking.

I didn't look away from his eyes as he studied me. He smiled and lifted a hand to stroke my hair. "Did you know that if you had stayed one more day in your little house in London, you would have been mine?"

I didn't say anything, didn't show any emotions at all as he continued to pet me. "How much fun I could have had with you!" he chuckled. "But don't worry; you will be _mine,_ eventually…" He leaned in and gave me a harsh kiss before he was gone from anywhere in sight.

I closed my eyes and breathed in heavily. One more day and I would have been his? I stood from the wall on shaky legs and continued down the hallway to the room I was staying in. I didn't bother taking off my clothes (and didn't trust anyone in this place) and slipped into bed.

It was weird being grateful for Eric's actions. I would preferred it if none of them would have found me, but I could help thinking about what my life would have been like if Eric didn't get to me first. I felt the blood in my body trying to drag me out of bed to go find him. I wanted him close, wanted comfort and safety in his arms.

No, '_stop thinking like that, Sookie'_ I schooled myself. I missed Timmie. I wanted to go back to Eric's place. No, I just wanted to go away from here, anywhere would do. I wondered what Eric was doing right now.

Groaning internally I slapped myself. Why did I think of him all the time? As on cue, the door to the room opened and I knew it was him. I turned around and studied him. He didn't look good. He looked unfamiliar without the teasing smirk or angry sheriff face.

"Can we talk?" he asked gently.

"I don't want to talk to you." I was trying to stay calm. I wanted to shout and scream at him, and I wanted to kiss and hug him. I watched as he sped around the room looking for something, giving me time to look at him. He was so handsome. He actually looked worried and caring. He had saved me from Andre. I didn't know what I would have done if Andre had gotten to me first. He gave me the creeps and from what he said earlier I wouldn't think he would give a damn about my wellbeing.

"Why?" Eric said sharply, ending my train of thoughts with a frustrated look. I tried to come up with a reason. Why didn't I talk to him? …Because he wouldn't understand me anyways. Because my body betrayed me and would just jump him if he came to close... Because he stole my life and I didn't want to talk to him. I knew he would never let me go, so I didn't matter anyway.

I took a deep breath. "Because I don't want to?" Why was this so important?

"I want you to give me a better reason than that, lover." He smirked and started to pace the room. The "_buzz"_ from the bond disappeared and I knew he had closed off the bond again.

"Well you are not going to get it" I huffed irritated. What is it about him and the understanding of the word no?

"Why are you making this so difficult? I can feel you, Sookie, I know you want me. I can feel that you feel safe and calm with me! I can feel your desire! Why won't you even talk?" He almost shouted looking angry.

"You feel your blood, Eric, those feelings are _not_ mine!" I felt the familiar feeling of tears welling up in my eyes again. I was so over crying, but I couldn't help it. Trying to hide from him, I turned around and buried my face in the pillow.

Strong hands gripped around my shoulders and flipped me onto my back. "You are not shutting me out. Tell me what I have done wrong to make you feel like _this_" he hissed.

"You honestly don't know? No ideas come to mind?" I cried.

"I know you didn't want to come back home but you need to understand, Sookie, that I need to protect you!" he softened his features and loosened his grip on my shoulders.

Again my thoughts flashed back to Andre and I cried harder. Since Eric wouldn't let me turn around I hid my face in my hands. I wondered if Eric knew that Andre had known where I was, or if I was just lucky. I should thank him, but I couldn't make myself to do it. Why couldn't I just be a normal human?

"Ssh, Sookie please don't cry" Eric whispered and gently tried to remove my hands. I held back and eventually he stopped trying to remove them. Instead he lay down beside me and held me. I loved and hated him at the same time for it. But I felt the familiar rush of calm and safety and took comfort in it. I calmed down enough to pull myself together and drew away from him. I stood from the bed, making some distance between us.

"In your human days... What would you have done if someone had taken over the power of you?" I asked him after a while in silence. He took some time thinking of his answer. "I would have fought until death and died an honorable death."

"Then I will die in dishonor" I stated, looking into the empty fireplace. "You are not going to die, Sookie. How many times do I have to tell you that I will protect you?" He said angry and sat up on the bed.

"Why are you so eager to protect me? Why can't somebody else do it?" I huffed.

"Don't try to change the subject. We are talking about you." He said and stood from the bed and walked closer.

"Oh, so I can't ask anything about you while you want me to answer all of your questions?" I snapped. "You smell different, Sookie. You taste different. You are not the same woman with a fire inside at all. Tell me what's wrong and I'll fix it" He pleaded.

I only glared at him. I wanted to get away from him, only being in his presence irritated me. "You don't understand anyway Eric!" I raised my voice. "You have to have it all, don't you have enough? You can't fix it whatever you do! Just leave me alone."

"I can fix it, Sookie; if you just tell me! What do you want?" He shouted back. I didn't answer, trying to hold back my tears. "What do you want, huh?" He said again and came closer.

I stood quickly from the chair I was sitting in and got away from him, making a distance again before I felt his hands on my shoulders again. "Stop running Sookie and tell me what the fuck you want!"

I whipped around and met his furious eyes. "What I fucking want _Eric _is YOU and every other vampire gone from my life! I want to have completely control of my own life, make my own decisions and decide who's going to protect me or not!" I shouted and breathed heavily.

"I want to be a normal human without the fucking curse or fairy heritage. I want my mom and dad back, I want my childhood back, I want my Gran back and I want Jason's brain to start working!" I didn't manage to hold back the tears anymore.

"I want to find my true love and marry him. I want to wake up beside him every day, drink coffee on the porch while we watch the sun rise together. I want children. I want to be the best parent in the world together with my husband, support and be there for our children like I know my parents would if they hadn't died and if I had been normal!" I was sobbing between my rants now. Eric had let go of my shoulders and stared at me with a pained expression.

"I want to grow old with my husband and watch our children grow old. I want to live a life without any danger or worries that I'll might be found and used for my blood and curse. And when the time is right I want to die a happily old woman, knowing I have lived a meaningful and loved life full with friends and family. Can you give me those things, Eric?" I searched his eyes for the answer I knew I would get.

Eric stood completely still, staring at me with the same pained expression. "WHAT? Can you give me those things, Eric? Answer me!" I shouted and hit him in the chest as hard as I could. He didn't even flinch, just kept staring at me. I searched his eyes again and but knew I needed to sit down soon before my legs gave out.

Eventually I walked around him and threw myself at the bed. I pulled the cover over myself and kept on crying into the pillow. Sometime later I felt the bed move and knew Eric was lying down beside me. I didn't care.

I felt a hundred kilos lighter after telling him how I felt. I knew I must have hurt him, but he deserved it. I wasn't done crying, and I didn't turn around to look at him. Minutes or maybe hours later I finally fell asleep.

…

I woke up in the pitch black room. Reaching over to the nightstand I turned on the lights and checked what time it was. Still three hours to sundown. My face felt swollen and sore after all the crying I had done. But surprisingly I felt a lot better.

Turning around I looked at Eric. I felt a pang of guilt seining two reddish stripes of dried blood running down his face. He was still clothed and I slowly rolled closer. I placed a finger at one of his eyes and followed the trail of blood, slowly down his chin.

I felt bad for him. I had said things that I knew would hurt him. Though I thought he deserved it, some part of me knew he didn't. I wasn't really telling the complete truth either. It was hard to admit it, but I wouldn't do anything to change my life growing up together with Jason and Gran. I did want to find myself a husband and a true love, but knew it was hopeless to be with a human man with my curse. Of course if my curse was gone that wouldn't be a problem, but the curse was a part of me. I didn't really want to give it up. The possibility to pass it along to my children was something that I didn't want to do. But I couldn't be sure if it _would_ pass along at all, and if it did, I would be there to help gaining control over it. But still I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, since they would have got into the same trouble as me.

Before I could stop myself I cuddled closer to Eric's dead body. I froze when I felt his arm twitch and gripped around my waist to pull me even closer. "Eric?" I whispered. He didn't answer, he was still dead.

He looked so peaceful when he was resting like this. I laid my head down on his chest smelling him. I lifted his hand from his side and studied it, traced it with my fingers and held it. So much pain, death and gruesome actions these hands had done. Probably from the day he was first given a sword, they had killed. But I was sure they also had loved.

Content, I closed my eyes and slumbered.

"_Eric?" I whispered, staring into the darkness. I could see the large frame on the other side of the room, his blue eyes shining while he stared at me. _

"_Eric, why aren't you saying anything?" I said nervous. When he still didn't say anything I walked closer to him, careful so I wouldn't trip or walk into something in the dark. "Eric please say something!" _

"_You don't deserve me, lover. I tried to protect you but you wouldn't let me. Now you belong to someone else" He said in his familiar low voice. "No, please, I love you" I reached for him, but suddenly he was gone and I was blinded by a bright light. _

_I heard birds sing and the smell of grass and woods. Getting used to the bright light I opened my eyes. I was standing in a meadow, looking over the ocean. _

_Laughter made me turn around and look behind me, when a woman and a man came running out of the forest. They were wearing weird clothes that belonged in a Viking age. The woman had her blond hair tied up in complicated series of knots while the man… "Eric?" I gaped. _

_They were running and spinning each other while laughing. The beautiful sight of Eric made tears form in my eyes. His glowing tan skin, the sun making his hair shine and his face was so happy and full of love. He whirled the woman around again and caught her securely in his muscled arms. "Jeg elsker deg" he murmured and smiled the biggest smile before they kissed passionately. I was only standing a few feet away from them, tears in my eyes at the amazing sight. Somehow I knew he had told her I love you, even though I didn't understand his language. _

"_Eric?" I tried again. They couldn't see me? They abruptly ended the kiss and human Eric snapped his head in my direction. I didn't know if I wanted to gape some more or smile at him, when he looked me in the eyes. _

_He was still smiling, but suddenly his face was filled with rage. I frowned confused before he pushed the woman behind him and dropped his fangs. He looked like a predator when he stalked towards me. I didn't even manage to scream when the sun suddenly disappeared and everything went black as he sunk his fangs in my neck. _

I bolted awake, breathing heavily and clutched my neck. I had fallen asleep. I looked at Eric and noticed I was mashed up against his body, and he held his arms securely around me. He had his eyes closed and was still resting. A knocking sound sounded on the door.

I tried to calm myself down, but it wasn't easy when I at the same time tried to sneak my way out of Eric's arms. He was holding me tight but eventually I pulled myself away from him, happy that he was still dead to the world.

I brushed off the wrinkles my clothes had got during the night before I opened the door an inch. "Morning, Sookie! Did I wake you?" Hadley stood outside the door, beaming at me.

"Eh, yes, actually you did" I said, still a little breathless from the dream I've just had.

"Oh well. Sophie always wants me to get up before she does so I can eat and refresh before she wakes. I guessed you would be hungry as well?" She smiled.

"Oh, well…" I looked back at Eric's sleeping form, not comfortable leaving him when he was resting. What if someone just walked in and staked him? But it wasn't my responsibility to take care of him, I wanted him gone anyway!

I bit my lip, thinking about what I should do. "Do you have some clothes I could wear?" I asked my cousin and smiled. "Sure, why don't you take a shower and I'll run down and get you something from my closet, a summer dress perhaps?" She beamed at me.

"That sounds lovely" I nodded, trying to sound a little excited. She nodded back and actually started to run down the hall. I rolled my eyes, but did as she said. I entered the large bathroom I hadn't noticed before and turned on the shower. I washed up quickly before I dried myself off and blow-dried my hair into large curls.

Entering the bedroom again I saw Hedley stand over Eric, looking at him. "Hadley!" I whispered-shouted, not entirely sure why, since Eric was dead anyway. "Oh, Sookie he looks like a God" She said amazed and reached down to touch him. "Hadley, keep your hands to yourself" I snapped. Who knew if Eric suddenly woke up and decided to rip her hand off?

"Why, Sookie he is dead, he doesn't know. Do you think we could take a peek, you know..." She wiggled her eyebrows and pointed at his crotch.

I gasped and started to feel heat rise in my cheeks. "Hadley Hale, get out of this room!" I said embarrassed and pushed her away from the bed and Eric. "Gee, Sookie relax, I didn't know you were so possessive" she teased but I could hear her jealousy and bitterness in her thoughts. She hated me right now.

"Thanks. Just wait two seconds" I said and took the pink summer dress out of her hand and closed the door after pushing her outside. I turned around and found Eric still sound and sleep. I sighted relieved and jogged back to the bathroom to change into the dress.

Hadley was about the same size as me, so the dress fitted me nicely. Satisfied I walked back into the bedroom and outside to find Hadley.

**Eric POV**

I now understood the heavy feelings my lover was dealing with inside of herself. Because after her crying rant of what she wished the most in the world, and only the things I couldn't give her, I was feeling exactly the same. I now understood why she tasted and smelled so different. I really had snuffed out her light.

I opened my eyes to find the room empty from my lover. I could smell her on me, something I thought was weird. I realized she must have slept in my arms. A little spike of hope flared in my chest. I checked the bond and was happy to notice that the heavy pain, distress and hopelessness had eased in her a little. It was still there, but it wasn't dominating her other emotions anymore.

She was bored, annoyed and impatient for something. A different smell suddenly caught my nose. Her cousin had been in the room. I relaxed a little, figuring that Sookie must have gone with her to do something.

Instead of lingering in bed with my depressing _emotions_ I took a quick shower and headed out of the room to find my lover. The bond led me down to the kitchen, where I froze outside of the door. I didn't know how I should talk to her, what I should say and how she would react at all. After what she had said yesterday I suddenly felt nervous for seeing her again.

I had to pull myself together and be the fucking thousand year old vampire that I was. I bet the Queen would have staked me already if she knew how weak my lover was making me. I was about to enter when I heard the Queens pet talk. "I'm sorry to hear that Sookie. Sophie promised me I would get you as company, but I guess we can't force you to stay."

She sounded sad, and I wondered what plans my Queen must have had. "I'm sorry too, Hadley. But I don't think Eric will let me stay." Sookie answered. She didn't sound sad at all, just careless like she didn't bother to care at all if she stayed or went.

"You know Sophie could force him to let you stay. She is his Queen, right?" She suggested. I clenched my fists. The Queen could very well demand me to give her Sookie. I could of course rightfully refuse since she was my bonded. But that would mean treason against the Queen. But the Queen was smart enough not to dare demand such thing of me.

"You don't know Eric. He always finds a loophole." Sookie answered, sounding like she shrugged. My lover knew me well.

"Sheriff, The Queen is expecting you." One of the Queens guards stood behind me. I turned around and walked away quickly, ignoring him. I found the Queen spread out on a high class lawn chair tanning in the fake sun. "Northman, how good of you to join me!" She said and lowered her sunglasses, smiling.

"Your Majesty" I nodded and rolled my eyes when she looked away. She was obsessed with the sun, a very tragic thing for a tragic vampire.

"You enjoyed your rest?" She said starting up with the small talk. "Yes, it was satisfying." I leaned back against a wall and studied her while she rubbed in sun lotion in her pale skin.

"Good. Then I trust you have the contract ready?" She looked at me over the glasses.

I only nodded. "I will sign it after I speak with your bonded one more time in private." She drawled and concentrated on the sun again. "Are you hungry? I have a few more untouched donors, or you could wait and feed when your bonded arrive."

"I'm not hungry, My Queen." I stated and wished she could just sign the contract already so we could leave. "I won't take no for an answer, Northman!" She said and clapped her hands. As expected, four new donors came quickly through a door. "Pick one!" The Queen demanded.

I sighed and again grabbed the closest to me and sunk my fangs into her. Her blood was actually refreshing and I felt a lot better after a few mouthfuls. I was just about to retract my fangs when Sookie and the Queens pet came through the door. Jealousy surged through the bond as I met my lovers' eyes. I quickly pulled away from my donor and pushed her in the direction of the others.

Sookie didn't say or show anything, but came quietly towards me before she stopped by my side. Hadley happily jumped over to her Queen and bared her neck. "You're a good little pet" The Queen teased before she bit down. Hadley's giggle quickly turned into a moan and I felt disgust from my lover.

Gently I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. "Sookie, if you wish you can stay here with your cousin." I whispered even though it killed me inside. I hadn't forgotten about the conversation I had overheard.

Sookie whipped her head up and looked at me, surprised. Her insides were like a hurricane, but she didn't answer. Too soon, the Queen interrupted our staring, and pulled us back to reality. "Ms. Stackhouse, I would like a word with you."

Sookie looked away from me and to the Queen. Hadley was looking pleadingly at her. I could hear the little sigh coming from my lover before she followed the Queen into another room.

I followed the bond closely for any sight of pain or fright. She was only conflicted, before a slightly shock and guilt filled the bond before it dulled back into nothingness. I was tempted to burst through the door and find out what they were talking about or doing, but I held my place. I hadn't lived a thousand years just to follow my stupid spontaneous urges.

Half an hour later, the door opened and they came back. I checked over my bonded again for injuries and was satisfied to find none. She looked at me with her blank eyes, but on her inside I knew she was content, satisfied and a little impatient. I frowned, wondering what it could be.

"I guess we have a deal, Sherriff" The Queen said and scrambled her name at the dotted line on the contract. "Now, you are both dismissed. I'll see you in a month." She snapped and looked bitter and angry.

I however didn't want to linger any more than necessary, only to let Sookie say goodbye to her cousin before I grabbed her hand and walked quickly out of the Queens mansion.

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**Thanks for reading! Review and let me know what you think! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Sookie POV**

Hadley had brought me down to the kitchen where again fresh food was placed out for us. She gave me more unwanted details about how her life with _Sophie_ was, and asked too many questions about me and Eric. She obviously knew about the Queen's offer, and wanted to know about my decision.

I really was tempted to take her up on it. It could mean a new chance of escape! But if I didn't manage to escape, what would happen then? I didn't want to bond myself to the Queen, Andre or Bill.

I didn't want to leave Eric. I still hated him for what he had done to me, but he had also saved me, as much as I hated to admit it. I still could try to locate a witch to get the bond broken even if I was in his claws. But what really made it easy to turn down the Queens offer, was Timmie. I couldn't leave her, just like that. I missed her so much, and all I wanted to do was to go back to Eric's place and be with her.

When we walked back to meet the Queen, I felt a stab of jealousy when I the first thing I saw was Eric feeding off of a fangbanger. The brunette in his hands was naked and perfect in every way as she moaned and rubbed herself all over him. I tried to keep calm and reminded myself that it was just the blood that was making me feel jealous while he pushed her away as I walked up to stand beside him.

Hadley however, I noticed rushed over to her lover and offered herself up. I felt disgusted, seeing how my cousin got off on being bitten by the Queen bitch.

"Sookie, if you wish you could stay here with your cousin" I heard Eric whisper in my ear as his hand on my arm pulled me closer to him. I looked up at him, surprised that he would say anything like that. Didn't he want me anymore, or was he just guilty for ruining my life?

Before I could come up with a logical explanation on why he suddenly would just let me stay if I wanted to the Queen interrupted me. "Miss. Stackhouse, I would like a word with you."

I looked from Eric to the Queen before I sighed and followed after her into the room we had been in yesterday.

"So, was my Hadley good enough to convince you to stay?" She smiled sweetly and gestured for me to sit. I sat down before I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but no." I didn't bother to use the formal language I knew I should.

The Queen looked furious. "Oh, really? So what can I say for you to change your mind?" She spoke sweetly, trying to cover up her anger. "I'm sorry, but nothing. I want to go…" I almost said home. "Back with Eric to Shreveport. I have friends there." I said in explanation.

"But I have your cousin, here. I thought family was important to humans?" The Queen snipped. "They are, but I just don't want to stay here." I said, not wanting to mention my brother, Sam or any of the other important persons in my life, in case the Queen would take them and use them against me. Though if she did, I knew Eric would help them.

The Queen was fuming where she sat, but eventually plastered a fake smile on her lips. "Well. That was unfortunate. I guess I have to punish Mr. Compton for this!" She said and on cue, another door opened where Andre entered with a bloody silver-chained Bill behind him.

I looked at the Queen surprised. Would she punish Bill because I didn't want to stay here? "Why?" I asked, not managing to stop myself.

"He was supposed to bring you to me. I have only postponed his punishment for losing you because he was sure you would get back to him. Apparently, he believes you hate Eric Northman and would never be with him given a choice. Now that you have decided, I need to punish him not only for losing you, but also for giving me false information." She said and smiled.

I didn't really see the Queen's problem; I would after all be working for her. Still, I felt kind of guilty for getting Bill into more trouble, but he deserved it. Instead of defending him like I normally would have done _before_ he showed me his true colours, I stayed quiet.

She only looked angrier, but Andre snickered at me, approvingly. "It seems you have a new toy, my child" Queen said to Andre and he smirked.

"Sookeh, please. I love you! I never meant to hurt you. Just stay here, we can be a real couple together, please!" Bill shouted desperately.

I ignored him to the two other vampires amusement and leaned back in the couch. "Take him back to the chamber." The Queen commanded her child.

"If you ever want to escape the Viking, you are more than welcome to stay here!" She smiled sweetly. "I can offer you freedom and happiness for the rest of your life, just remember that."

Yeah, I bet she could. I didn't know if I was more annoyed that she lied to me, or that she thought I was so stupid to believe her lies. I only nodded and smiled. "Well, now that you have decided I have others matter to attend to. Let's rejoin you with your Master, shall we?" The Queen said and we walked back into the room were Eric, Hadley and a few guards were waiting.

I met Eric's gaze and walked over to stand beside him. "I guess we have a deal, Sherriff." The Queen said and ignored Hadley completely as she walked by and scribbled her name down on the contract Eric had handed her. "Now, you are both dismissed. I'll see you in a month." She sounded angry when she addressed me, but I couldn't care less.

"Thank you your Majesty." Eric took the contract and looked at me. "See you in a month…" I said to Hadley and waved before Eric grabbed my arm and pulled me away. I was half running behind him as we quickly found or way out of the mansion. On the outside, I was blinded by tourists taking pictures, thoughts and screams from vampire haters. Eric didn't bother to slow down his fast pace and a few seconds later we were back in the large SUV. I wondered how Pam had gotten home but didn't care enough to ask.

Eric was driving and I sat staring out of the window. I knew I had done the right thing to follow Eric back, but I couldn't help feeling a little irritated over myself for not daring to take the chance on a new escape provided by the Queen. I wondered how she had thought she could remove mine and Eric's bond, it was after all permanent. I knew a witch probably could have done it, but could something else do the same trick? Something I could get my hands on much easier?

I still felt a little guilty for what I had said to Eric the other night. I wanted to apologize but I really didn't want to swallow my pride. To say I was sorry, was the same thing as saying that it was okay for him to practically kidnap me! Still I knew that if my Gran had been alive, she would have wanted me to apologize. I was taking a deep breath before I was going to say it, but Eric suddenly cut me off. "Why didn't you stay with your cousin?"

"I don't want to leave Timmie." I said, still looking out of the window. The car was filled with tension as we sat in awkward silence a few minutes before I pulled myself together. Turning my head to look at him, I saw how tired and troubled he looked. "I'm sorry Eric." There, I said it! He only met my eyes for a few seconds before he concentrated on keeping his eyes on the road. He sighed and clenched his fists around the steering wheel before relaxing them again. "Me too, Sookie." He didn't look at me, something I wished he would so I could see if he meant it or not. But I did feel the sincerity in the bond and something around it "let go". The tension and awkwardness was gone even though we didn't talk for the rest of the drive.

I still hated him, I still believed he ruined my life (twice) but now he knew what I felt. Or why I felt like I did and that made me feel better in a weird way. Now I knew he could do something about it if he really wanted, but I knew he wouldn't let me go. Even if things were bad between us, they were still clear and that was some comfort in itself.

"Sookie" I heard someone shout from the door as I climbed out of the car. I closed the door behind me and didn't even see Timmie coming towards me before she was hugging me. "How did it go?" She asked and hugged me tighter. "Fantastic." I said heavy on the sarcasm.

She pulled back and frowned. She looked between Eric and me for a few seconds before she let go of me. "Are you hungry? I have made you dinner!" She looked so hopeful that I couldn't say no. "Sure." I said and almost smiled when Timmie beamed at me. I wondered what she had made and hoped to God that some of it was eatable so I wouldn't hurt her feelings by crushing her enthusiasm, telling her she was all wrong. I was after all a miracle in itself that she was even trying to cook something in the kitchen that was healthy, and not bloody and meaty.

"Where's Pam?" Eric asked her and led the way into the house. "Fangtasia, she let me skip my punishment today since… Well, it's not important."

Eric stopped and Timmie almost walked right into his back. "What did you do?" He said and looked at her with his dark eyes. "Well, I kind of… Attacked…. A fangbanger?" Timmie said and bowed her head. "But don't worry, she didn't die, but Pam had to glamour all the humans in there and well, it was kind of a lot, so she got a little angry and said I should just stay home where I couldn't do any harm."

I carefully watched Eric for any signs that he would hurt her or "punish" her, but he only stared at her before he turned his back to us and led us down in the apartment downstairs. "It wasn't my fault." Timmie whispered to me and I only shrugged hiding how I really was creeped out. Why Timmie was in her tiger form at Fangtasia, I had no idea.

Eric disappeared as we entered the apartment and Timmie dragged me into the kitchen and placed me in one of the chairs. She placed a mug of coffee before me (at least she got that right) and placed a plate of something black in front of me. "Timmie, what exactly is this?" I asked, poking it with my fork. "Chicken, can't you see? I may have overcooked it…" she said and bit her lower lip, something I had passed on to her when she first "moved in" with me.

The whole chicken was burned! "What, did I do something wrong?" She said and looked sad. I took a small bite from one of the areas where it was least burned and swallowed hard. "Nothing wrong… Just like you said, a little overcooked." I said and took a large sip from the coffee to get rid of the burned food taste in my mouth.

"I'll try to do it better next time!" She smiled and nodded. "When was the last time you exercised?" She asked and leaned against the fridge. The first thing I that came to mind was walking up and down the many steps in her father's castle but I knew Timmie didn't count that as exercise. Instead of answering, I only shrugged my shoulder and poked at the burned chicken.

"That's what I thought. You need to start with the workout again. I'll ask Eric if he can buy us some equipment." I didn't want her to ask anything from Eric on my behalf and told her so. "I am not in the mood for working out anyway!"

"Sookie, you need to start doing something else other than denying food and isolating yourself in your bed." Timmie said seriously. "It's not _my_ bed, Timmie." I glared at her. She sighed. "Did you talk with Eric at all?" She whispered. I knew it was pointless, Eric could probably hear us anyway. "Yes." I said not offering anymore. I knew she could read me well enough to figure out that the _situation_ had not changed much since we left.

"Timmie" Eric's voice sounded behind me. I didn't bother to turn around, but looked at Timmie's pleading face. "Do I have too?" She whined. "Yes." He said sharply. I had no idea what they were talking about. They must have some hidden communication or something. I stood and turned around; ready to go into "my bedroom" when Timmie stopped me. "Sookie, do you want to come along with us to Fangtasia?"

I stopped to look at her. Eric was standing behind her with his hand on the door leading upstairs and started at me with a blank expression. "I can drive you to Merlotte's if you want" he offered, but didn't change his features. Yeah, right, now he was offering me to drive me around and pretend that I wasn't his prisoner. "No." I said simply, addressing Timmie before I opened the door to the bedroom, walked inside and closed it behind me not bothering to answer Eric. Was he thinking he could make it up to me by offering me to see my friends again?

Like I would want to meet with Sam, Jason, Lafayette or anyone else right now… I could picture it already… _"Hey, Sookie, what are you doing here? Oh, I was just kidnapped by Eric Northman and forced to bond to him. He doesn't want to live in London, so I need to stay here against my will. But I am all happy about it, because he told me that he is going to let me see you guys at least twice a week if I'm a good girl!"_

Not going to happen. Cursing myself for feeling the damn tears welling up in my eyes again, I slipped out of my clothes and into bed ready for sleep to take me from my nightmare of a life.

**Eric POV **

I was overly focusing on driving the SUV Pam had left me and Sookie while Sookie was just staring out of the window on her side. I was torn between feeling joy of her deciding to come back with me, and frustrated for not knowing why. After her rant yesterday I had expected her to leave as fast as possible. Maybe I had been wrong all the time. Maybe she actually hated me like she said. She was after all not completely herself in "her dream" when she had told me she loved me. That thought hurt more than I thought it would. Maybe I should just let her leave again, stop protecting her and stop caring all together.

I could feel her mixed emotions, guilt, confident, guilt and then insecurity. I had also noticed how much easier it was for me to penetrate the extreme pain and distress she was feeling all the time after last night. I couldn't take the silence anymore and had to ask. "Why didn't you stay with your cousin?" I knew all vampires knew how vicious and repulsing the Queen and her child (alongside with Bill) could be. But I didn't believe Sookie would know so soon after meeting them to turn down her cousin and freedom from me. The Queen must probably have tried to sweet-talk her into staying; something _I _knew was the completely wrong way to go with my lover.

Feeling how troubled Sookie was to find an answer, I let myself hope. That was until she finally talked. "I don't want to leave Timmie."

Of course it was that reason she stayed. I truly needed to let my lover go, not only for her sake, but for my own. I always knew Pam was right when she said I acted weak, but I was really crushed now. I had tried to fix things and I knew I shouldn't give up. But this was getting dangerous. I wasn't acting like the vampire Godric had raised me to be. I was an easy target and I needed to get my shit together.

"I'm sorry Eric." Sookie said, startling me. I glanced at her empty eyes for a second, only to be reminded of that it was _me _who had ruined her. I tightened my grip around the steering wheel before I calmed myself down again. "Me too, Sookie." I said but didn't look at her again.

I felt a strange sensation of something lifting from the bond. The tension I felt between us had eased some and I actually managed to relax. I noticed Sookie looked less tense and knew she must have felt the same thing. When we finally were home Sookie got out of the car quickly, but not fast enough to notice Timmie rush towards her. I felt jealous seeing them together, huffing. I wanted to hug my lover like that.

I let my mind wander back to the moment I had woken up earlier to find Sookie's smell all over me. She had been close on her own accord. Shaking the feeling off me, I snapped back to reality. "Where's Pam?" I asked Timmie, ending her and my lover's cozy conversation and walked towards the house.

"Fangtasia, she let me skip my punishment today since…" she hesitated. "Well, it's not important." I could feel her guilt and nervousness. Okay, something bad had happened. "What did you do?" I stopped and turned to look at her, angry.

"Well, I kind of… Attacked…. A fangbanger?" Timmie said and bowed her head. "But don't worry, she didn't die, but Pam had to glamour all the humans in there and well, it was kind of a lot, so she got a little angry and said I should just stay home where I couldn't do any harm."

I stared at her for a second, figuring out if it was more she tried to hold back from me. When I was satisfied that she was telling me the truth, I turned around and led the way down in the underground light tight area. From behind me I could hear Timmie whispering to Sookie. "It wasn't my fault!"

I knew of course that it wasn't but I was irritated that Sookie accepted it as easy as she did. But she accepted whatever bad happened if it was someone she loved who did it… Me, she hated no matter what I tried to do.

I quickly used my speed and went into my room. I needed to do something or I'd go crazy. Pulling up my phone I called Tora.

"_Eric, finally! I was beginning to think that you had forgotten your promise. How are things?" _Tora sounded through the phone, answering on the first beep. I sighed, not bothering to hide from her. "Not what I had hoped." She knew how I had gotten her and had yelled at me enough times that she didn't have to anymore. "I took her to the Queen yesterday, returned home only minutes ago."

"_What happened?" _She sounded annoyed, just like my Pam would have been. "I got the deal with the Queen of course, even though I am certain Sophie-Anne offered Sookie a better deal. Then I forced her to talk to me before sundown yesterday."

"_What did she say? Do you think Sophie-Anne will settle with the deal?" _

"The _Queen_ doesn't dare to challenge me." I said avoiding her first question.

"_Eric, what did Sookie tell you?" _Tora said in a stern voice.

I clenched my fists and felt the urge to destroy my room all over again. "It doesn't matter what she said!"

"_Then why are you calling me if you aren't going to tell me the details?" _She said annoyed again. Another something she had in common with my child: Passion for gossip.

"I need a favor. I think it is best if I cut all my ties to her. I need you to take her in and find her a safe house no one will find her. Not even me." I said and felt my chest tighten and eyes well up in bloody tears.

"_Eric, you are not serious! You need to get your shit together and make her realize she love you as much as you love her" _She almost shouted in the phone.

"I don't _love_ her, Tora!" I hissed back. _"Then why go all of this trouble just to keep her safe?" _I could hear the accusing and knowing smirk in her voice.

"Can you just do it?" I snarled. I needed someone I trusted to take care of my lover and Tora was my best option. After Pam of course, but Pam would be too close.

I could hear Tora sighting through the phone, thinking. _"Fine, but I won't take any reasonability if something happens." _

"Nothing is going to happen, Tora. Do I make myself clear?" I was losing my patience now.

"_Eric, you know as well as I that there is no place completely safe. I promise that I will do more than my best to protect your lover, but I won't be compromising myself. If I remember correctly, you said she was a magnet for trouble. I am not risking my own life for a damn human!" She hissed back. _

"Just make sure she is safe. I have some plans that will help ensure her safety." I said, calming down.

"_Not witches again, Eric?" _Tora whined. When we had traveled in our younger days along with Godric we had stumbled over wiccans. All three of us almost ended up fried at a camp fire, hadn't it been for a woman who got too close for my reach. The wiccans had stopped their magic to save the woman… NOT a very smart move on their side…

"Don't worry, I have everything under control. I'll call you back later with more details." I said and hung up. Walking into the bathroom my anger rose again seeing my cheeks were red from my bloody tears. I stripped from my clothes and stepped into the shower. Washing away the blood in my face and smell of the Queens mansion I wished Sookie's smell could linger. No, I couldn't think like that anymore. I couldn't think like that. She needed to go!

Drying off and dressing in all black Fangtasia wear, I found Timmie and Sookie in the kitchen. "Timmie" I said and looked her deep in the eyes. Now that it was both me and Pam in Fangtasia there was no risk for her getting away eating the fangbanger's.

"Do I have too?" She whined and looked at me pleadingly. "Yes." I said sharply. I walked to the door leading upstairs irritated that Timmie even would ask for permission to skip her punishment. Pam had spoiled her. I froze, hand on the door handle when I heard Timmie speak behind me. "Sookie, do you want to come along with us to Fangtasia?"

I turned around to look at her, wondering what she would answer. I looked at her and saw how she was hesitating, melting the anger in me without even knowing it. "I can drive you to Merlotte's if you want." I offered, not giving away any emotions. I couldn't allow myself to look weak anymore.

"No." She said simply, looking at Timmie before she turned around and slammed the bedroom door behind her. I could sense her anger, or was it mine? I was trying to be nice, trying to help her and she didn't even acknowledge it. Didn't she even want to see her brother or any of her friends again?

No, I didn't care. She could just stay here and be mad at me. I knew I had ruined her life by bringing her back (Yes, Tora had mentioned the way I had done it was not the best way…) but I _was _going to fix it. I didn't want to spend forever with an angry, sad and broken lover reminding me every day that I was the one doing it to her. She would get her freedom, and maybe then she would get what she hoped for.

"Come, let's go. You have still two and a half weeks left of your punishment." I said carelessly to Timmie before I opened the door a little too harshly, dragging it off completely. I was looking forward to get back to Fangtasia and into my normal routine. Or so I told myself I would.


	20. Chapter 20

**Enjoy! **

* * *

**Eric POV**

Fangtasia was as busy as ever. Timmie changed in my office and I got a good response from the crowd when I held a leash around her throat as we entered the bar area. Pam appeared the minute I sat down on my throne. She looked completely normal (bored and annoyed) but I knew she was dying to know what had happened after she was dismissed by the Queen. I also knew very well that _she _knew very well not to mention it before we were alone.

"I heard about what happened here." I said tilting my head in Timmie's direction.

"I told you that striped smelly _thing_ was a bad idea!" Pam huffed. I smirked, pleased to be back in my child's presence and her lovely mood. "If you had been here I know you would have snapped her neck already!" She said before placing her hand on her hip, shooting daggers at me. "Do you even realize how long it took to glamour all of these idiots?"

I smirked wider, picturing the hysteria when the big wild scary tiger started chewing on one of the fangbangers. Pam and the other vampires had probably used some time gaining control and make sure nobody left with their memory intact. "I am glad some of us had some fun at least" I said and started to look for my meal for the night. I was hungry for something with life in who was not a blond or not beautiful.

Feeling the curiosity taking over in Pam, I quickly switched the subject. "Other news I need to know about or happened in my short absence?"

"Well, yes actually there is. Clancy brought in a bunch of kids doing and selling V early this morning. They're in the basement waiting for you. Oh, and do I need to remind you of the area reports? It is December-" she replied.

"I know Pam. I will take care of it. Do you mind keeping an eye on the_ "striped thing"_ while I drain the humans in my basement?" I said amusedly. I knew she loved Timmie as much as I did. I used my speed before Pam could answer and froze on the last step in the basement. Jason Stackhouse, two more men and one woman was chained up to the wall.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" I said, strolling over to them. "Hey man, this is all a misunderstanding! I didn't do anything, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time" Stackhouse said wide-eyed. I glanced at him before leaning down to the woman smelling her. She was a brunette, quite attractive but reeked of vampire blood. Besides, she was crying. I hated it when they cried.

Looking to the other men, I recognized them from earlier. They had both been involved in V dealing earlier. That was back in the day when I was kind. Not bothering to drag it out, I broke their necks, leaving Stackhouse the only one left. "Wow man! I didn't do it, I swear!" He said desperately. I narrowed my eyes at him, smelling the vampire blood he had taken.

Closing my fist around his neck I unchained him and lifted him from the ground. "You have never had an interest in vampire blood or vampires in general. You want to live a better life and help other people do to. You don't remember anything of what happened here tonight." I had entered his mind and began replacing his thoughts with mine. "And call your sister" I added. Maybe he could give her some spirit back. "She won't answer" he said dreamily, still under my glamour.

I stared at him for a while confused before I realized yet another huge mistake. I hadn't brought any of Sookie's things with her when we left Sunnew, only clothes. _Fuck' _I thought and glamoured Jason again.

Making sure he left the bar safely I returned to my throne. I mentioned for one of my underlings to step forward. "Clean up the basement." I ordered and returned my attentions to the vermin.

"What did you do to the brother?"

"I let him go." I only said, not bothering to elaborate. "Get back to your job."

Pam rolled her eyes, but listened as always. I fished my phone out of my pocket and texted my lawyer, Desmond Cataliades. I needed him to file the contract between me and Sophie-Anne, in case anything happened. I had also (with the contract) added a new bank account for my lover where I had placed a large amount of my money. Not more than I kept myself, but enough to make her able to live a few luxurious lives. I knew she probably wouldn't use them, but I felt better doing it. It also meant that Tora wouldn't need to spend all of _her_ money… When I let Sookie go… If I ever managed to do it soon… Or do it at all… Fuck.

**Sookie POV**

Five days had passed and I was "back in my old routine" aka isolating myself in bed like Timmie called it. She had tried to cheer me up every day and I actually had tried to respond to her many attentions without luck. The bond with Eric was seriously messing with my mind. I didn't see him after the day we came home from the Queen, but I knew, felt him coming closer and die for the day not far away from myself.

I wanted him so bad. I wanted him to hold me, love me, touch and make love to me. I wanted to talk with him, be with him, feel secure and calm like l only felt being near him.

But I still knew it was the blood that made me crave him. Each time he died for the day, or closed the bond my reality came crashing back to me. Everything I had lost flashed before my eyes and I broke down from the pain. Then suddenly Eric woke or opened the bond and I didn't give my old life another thought. I was starting to go crazy; I didn't know what was real or not anymore. I had started to think about how wrong _I _had been, how horrible _I was_ and it was _my_ fault that I was a prisoner. Then, I convinced myself that I actually deserved it, before I again realized it was all Eric's fault – right before I wanted him all over again. In short - was a complete mess!

It didn't help with the erotic dreams crossed with the weird human Eric, looking like a Goddess in the sun before he turned back into a vampire and decided to kill me. At least I had stopped crying. I was now only grumpy, angry, whatever you'd call it. Timmie had a few suggestions herself…

Timmie had mentioned she was going out shopping today and had only left a mug of coffee on my nightstand. I was grateful she didn't cook me anymore meals. Some people were just better off outside of the kitchen. Drinking my coffee I decided to get up. I needed a shower badly!

After my shower I checked around for voids. I only found one, Eric. Following it, I stopped in front of his door. Now that he was asleep I had better control over myself. I opened the door carefully before I peeked inside. It was dark, but I could see the outline of his body on a large bed. Biting my lip, I battled my own will to go further inside or turn around and leave. My "bloody side" as I now called it won along with my curiosity. I closed the door behind me and felt myself towards his bed. I crawled upwards and lay beside him, careful not to touch him and started thinking. I really shouldn't be here.

When my eyes got used to the darkness I turned my head and looked at him. He was still as beautiful as ever. I wanted to explore him further, feel the soft skin I knew he had but refrained myself. It was bad enough that I was in here.

I wondered what his purpose was for bringing me here. He had made a deal with his Queen that I'd read her humans once a month and created the blood bond, but other than that he had done nothing. I was certain he would try to drink more of my blood, use my curse to read his own humans at Fangtasia or get into my pants. Had he just hunted me down so I could work for his Queen? Was he just like Bill? No matter what his game was, he confused me.

Shifting a little closer to him without touching I took a deep breath, smelling him. He smelled so damn good I almost cursed. Betraying myself I let my hand glide to the sheet covering his body. He wasn't wearing anything on his upper body (to my enjoyment and irritation at the same time) and I rested my hand on his chest right above his heart.

I was almost falling asleep when I felt a hand grip around my wrist. Popping my eyes open, I gasped in surprise when I was dragged halfway on top of him, before his arms circled around my waist. I was embarrassed to find myself only wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top against his naked chest. I looked up and to my horror found Eric's eyes opened and focused on me. I didn't know what to say, or if he even was awake. We stared at each other for a while before I noticed dark liquid coming from his ears. I figured it was the bleeds, and I came to the conclusion that he _was_ really awake.

I looked into his eyes again, enjoying the calm and completeness I felt. "Sleep" I whispered. He looked at me a few seconds more before he closed his eyes and went back to sleep. I breathed out heavily and felt my eyes tear up slightly. What was he doing to me? Instead of pulling away like I knew I should, I stayed and rested my head on his chest falling fast asleep.

…

I woke up from a dreamless sleep, maybe the best I've had in a long time. It wasn't until a few moments later I remembered where I was. Eric's heavy arms were still holding me tight to his body. Feeling a rush of panic I wondered what time it was.

Pulling myself out of his arms was kind of a hard task, I managed to locate the door and got out of his room. I walked quickly to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of fruit and retreated into my room. I sat on the bed, bowl in lap and started to eat franticly as I thought about what I had done. _The stupid bond had forced me into doing it_' I thought but still knew I was lying. Some part of me, the real me wanted his comfort. I wanted him.

Or was it just the blood tricking me? "Fucking hell!" I shouted and threw the bowl away from me in anger. I clutched my head in my hand before I pulled myself together and laid down on the bed staring at the roof. This was hopeless. Sighing I stood and cleaned up the fruit from the floor. I walked into the living room and the kitchen to throw it away just in time to see Timmie come inside.

"Hey" I said and looked at her red checks and frizzle hair she had gotten from being outside.

"Hey Sookie!" She said and came closer with the bag she was holding. "I bought some food." She said and suddenly stopped moving. "Why do you smell of Eric?" She asked curiously.

I groaned internally, wondering if he would remember me in his room or not. He would probably smell me anyways. How would he take my uninvited intrusion on his bed? I was sure he would do a happy dance if it had been one year earlier, but after how different he had acted I didn't know anymore. "It doesn't matter. What did you buy?" I said quickly, distracting her by taking the bag from her hand.

"Okay… I bought healthy stuff" She smiled as I looked in the bag. Vegetables and more vegetables! How nice. "Oh, and I have something to show you" She smiled and grabbed my hand and started to drag me away. She pulled me into a room I had never been in and I gasped in horror. The room was stocked with training equipment. I groaned again and this time out loud.

"Hey, don't make that sound!" Timmie schooled me, but smiled before she dragged me further into the room. "Sookie, I don't know if you have noticed, but I definitely have. You are way too skinny and need more food and muscles. I got Pam to help me out, and voila!" She said and turned around to stare at all the machines.

"Timmie…" I sighed but hadn't really anything to say. I knew she was right but I was in no mood to start training. What was the point, I was just going to stay here forever anyway…

"Look." Timmie said and grabbed my shoulder. "I understand that you hate Eric and that you are dealing with some serious shit. But you need to get out of that bed and not rot in it like you want to do. You are my only friend Sookie, and I won't sit around and watch your life waste away just because that stupid vampire can't do nothing right! I know you deserve better and I wished I could help you more, but I can't. Please, can't we just pretend like he doesn't exist and live out life together, here? Please?" She stared pleadingly at me.

I wanted so much to say yes, but I knew it was impossible for me to ignore Eric when the bond was constantly trying to pull me towards him. Instead I hugged her. "You are a great friend, Timmie. I want to forgive him; I'm trying to forget…" I said and hugged her tighter.

She pulled away and placed her hand on my shoulders again. "Life is sink or swim. Right now Sookie, you are sinking, fast."

"Every time I see him I'm feeling his cold dead eyes, stealing the life from mine." I said and looked at her for signs of understanding. "No you're not, Sookie. They are not stealing your life; they are only a mirror of your own eyes." She said and let go of me. I looked at her a little longer; feeling the sinking feeling of her truth hit me. "I know you probably won't believe me when I tell you this, and I won't try to change your mind about him. But he has changed Sookie. He is losing himself just like you, and I am afraid something bad will happen soon."

"You can't possibly blame me for this? I never wanted to be here in the first place!" I said getting defensive.

Timmie narrowed her eyes at me. "I know you didn't, but I know you are not completely against it either." She said. Before I could get more angry and defensive, Eric appeared beside us. "Timmie, are you ready?" He said looking at her. She nodded and turned around, leaving me and Eric alone.

The feeling of unease, embarrassment and longing crawled slowly up my back as I nervously lifted my gaze to look at Eric. His looked curious at me before he relaxed his burning stare. "Do you want to come? I can take you wherever you want." He asked softly. His ignorance or pretending that nothing had happened earlier hurt more than I thought as I shook my head "no." He only lingered for a few seconds more before he was gone and I was left alone in the room.

Loneliness was hanging over my shoulders, weighing them down. Needing some distraction, I decided to explore more of the house. I discovered Pam's room in pink colors, Timmie's in blue and Eric's in white. I only peeked inside his room and forcefully shoved the little voice in my head telling me to go inside again away. I found an office, the room with all the work out stuff, a larger bathroom and eventually I stood before the door I knew was leading upstairs. My hand gripped around the handle but I didn't try to open it. Would Eric lock me inside like a prisoner? Pulling down the handle I successfully pushed open the door. I started up the stairs but knew if I closed the door behind me, I wouldn't be able to enter back down. I would need the code only Eric, Pam and Timmie obviously knew.

I closed the door again and walked back to my bedroom. I decided to take a bath. The water was like heaven and I managed to relax completely. Washing my hair and doing the usual refreshments I deemed myself perfectly clean and stepped out of the bath. Waiting for it to drain I stood in front of the large mirror to look at myself. I still had my curves, but they were not as pronounced that they used to be. I could see some hint of my ribcage and hipbone poking out under my skin. I knew I had lost a few pounds, but I was not too skinny. I just didn't look like the normal healthy me anymore…

Covering myself with a towel I dried my hair and pulled on a new set of PJ's Pam probably had gotten for me. It was lace and in light pink and felt soft against my skin. I wasn't really tired, but had nothing better to do than going to bed and sleep.

**Eric POV**

I didn't know why or how I was pulled out of my sleep. Her smell hit me at once and I felt her little hand lying on my chest. Without thinking I grabbed it dragged her closer. This must be a dream. The sun was pulling me forcefully back to slumber, but I resisted. I needed to look at her. She stared into my eyes with shock and what I saw as panic.

She felt so good against me. It felt right. "Sleep" she whispered. I didn't want this moment to end. All of the bad emotions that were dominating the bond were completely gone. I felt complete, whole, and content. But I couldn't compete with the sun any longer and closed my eyes and died.

When I woke up she was gone. I could still smell and feel her warmth. I skipped the shower, not wanting to remove her scent from my body and got dressed. Entering the living room I heard Timmie and Sookie talk in the room Pam had insisted on turning into a workout room.

It was Timmie that was talking and I froze hearing what she was saying. "They are not stealing your life; they are only a mirror of your own eyes. I know you probably won't believe me when I tell you this, and I won't try to change your mind about him. But he has changed Sookie. He is losing himself just like you, and I am afraid something bad will happen soon."

I almost snapped out my fangs in anger before Sookie spoke. "You can't possibly blame me for this? I never wanted to be here in the first place!" She was sounding defensive. So she didn't want to be here, but still came into my room and lay with me.

"I know you didn't, but I know you are not completely against it either." Timmie said a little harsher. Feeling Sookie's anger rise I quickly decided to intervene. I appeared quickly beside them and started only at Timmie. "Timmie, are you ready to go?" She nodded, turned and walked out of the room leaving me with my bonded.

I looked at her with curiosity and confusion. I knew she was embarrassed and feeling unease for some reason. Was she regretting what _she _did and blamed me for _that _too? Deciding to be nice I tried to relax my features. "Do you want to come? I can take you wherever you want." And I meant it. She surprised me by only shaking her head. She was feeling slightly hurt. Not wanting to press her anymore I just followed Timmie outside.

"You should stop talking to her like that." I said to Timmie as I drove to Fangtasia with Timmie beside me. "What? I just talk to her like I usually do." She said defensive.

"Timmie." I sighed. "I am letting her leave."

"What? Why?" She said and looked at me with surprise.

"I think you know why. You need to decide if you want to go with her or stay here"

"Eric, you can't be serious." She exclaimed.

"You said it yourself Timmie. I am losing myself, remember?" I glanced at her angry. "And I won't let anything happen to me, my child or you."

"What about Sookie? You're not going to kill her are you?" Timmie was frightened.

"Of course I won't kill her." I growled. "I am doing the right thing here. She doesn't want me… This life with us…"

"Eric, please don't do this. I know Sookie has been kind of... down"

"Down? Just say it Timmie, I know I killed her." I said gripping hard around the steering wheel as I turned into Fangtasia parking lot. "Yeah, but she is getting better Eric! I know she is and you can't just send her away!" Timmie almost shouted.

Climbing out of the corvette I locked us inside the empty bar and headed into my office with Timmie right behind. "I have decided." I said simply and sat down, turning on my computer.

"You can't hunt her down like you did, kill her soul and then; "Oh, no I don't want her anymore" and send her away!" Timmie shouted. "YOU did this to her"

"I know I did it Timmie. Don't question me any more on this, and don't tell Pam, that's an order" I stood from my chair and snapped my fangs down threating. I knew she was right and that only fueled my anger. But I had to think of what was best for all of us, and everyone would be happy by letting her go so she could have her perfect life.

"You are a real jackass Eric" Timmie said, tears in eyes before she walked out of the office. Before she reached the door, it opened and Pam leaned against the frame. "What did I miss?" She drawled and looked from me to Timmie. "Naaw, did the big Viking step on the little tiger's tail?" she teased her.

"Fuck you, Pam" Timmie growled. "Oh, I'd already did" She snickered. "Pam." I said and she appeared before my desk. "Master?"

"Stop teasing Timmie. Now, go and prepare the bar for tonight." I ordered.

"Master, Ginger is here for a reason." Pam said annoyed.

"So are you!" I hissed.

"Fine" she snapped and walked out of my office behind Timmie.

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. I was doomed no matter what I did. I knew I only needed to make one call and the bond with my lover would not be a problem anymore.

I had been sitting in my chair in two hours, listening on to the bar being opened and staring at the phone. Reluctantly I stood from my chair and walked out to greet the vermin's. I could take the call later.

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**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! :-)**

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**Sookie POV**

"Merry Christmas!" Timmie shouted, jumping into my bed, brutally waking me from my pleasant sleep.

"What?" I said, dazed. "It's Christmas Day! So Merry Christmas!" She said and shoved a present in my face. Oh, Christmas, I had almost forgotten about it. Opening the present I found a book. "Thank you" I said, not bothering to look at it.

"Sookie, you haven't even read what it is about!" Timmie exclaimed. Turning to the back, I read something about a Viking, a raid and some woman. "It seems lovely, thank you Timmie." I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I have bought you your present, but it is hiding beneath my bed at home" I said weakly.

This was the day I had planned to surprise Timmie with a bloody steak, a tree, Christmas lights and decorations all over the house. It would be the first Christmas I had ever celebrated without family, but I had Timmie.

"It doesn't matter Sook. I want you to know that whatever happens, I love you and I would never leave you." She said and hugged me hard. I was a little overwhelmed but hugged her back. "Me too, Timmie."

"Are you hungry? I can make you breakfast" Timmie said as she pulled away from me. I tried to smile, but didn't know if I made it. "No its okay. Let me make you some for once!"

"Oh, you don't need to do that, Sookie. I know you don't… like it anymore" Timmie said, looking down and stared at her hands. "I want to" I assured her. "Just let me freshen up and get dressed."

She nodded and exited my room. I did what I said, showered and got dressed before I headed out to find Timmie in the kitchen. "So, what do you want to eat?" I asked.

"What you usually make." She replied.

I nodded and started to make some toast. I had tried to teach her how to make it, but she never did get it and I didn't doubt she never would. "Why won't you come to Fangtasia with us?" She suddenly asked, surprising me. I shrugged, not really knowing why. "It's hard to keep out all the thoughts" I used at an excuse.

"You should come with us you know. You need to get drunk." Timmie smirked.

I glared at her. "I have never, and don't think I am ever going to be _drunk_, Timmie" I said sternly. "You should" Timmie said as I placed the toast in front of her.

She ate quickly and savored every minute it seemed. She didn't notice that I hadn't made anything for myself. "Why are you going there anyway?" I asked. I knew Timmie well, and knew she didn't like big crowds. "I am serving my punishment. I need to be there every night until New Year's Eve" She said, pushing down the toast in her mouth.

"What did you do? What are you doing?" I asked curious.

"I didn't call Eric to tell him I believed _you _were the one he looked for. And what is not important." She said and stood from her chair. "I need some sleep. See you in a few hours." She said and turned to leave.

"Okay…" I said, not really used to how blunt she was being. With nothing more to distract me, I starting reading the book she gave me. All the stuff bout Vikings just brought me back thinking about Eric. I didn't want to think about him anymore. Impatient and kind of desperate to find another distraction I paced the living room. I knew in my mind that it was only Eric and Timmie in the apartment. Where Pam had spent the last few days I had no idea of.

Betraying myself I closed the distance between me and Eric's door again. I knew I shouldn't do it! He had completely ignored me since we came back from the Queen. But I wanted him so badly. Opening the door I felt the same urge as last time. Not trying to fight it I closed the door and walked directly to the bed.

I lay down beside him, staring at his outline as I waited for my eyes to get used to the dark. That was until I again felt his hand around me. I shifted my weight, giving him room to drag me closer. I didn't say anything and neither did he. Resting my head on his chest I sighed, content. I needed to stop doing this, but I couldn't. The emptiness and hopelessness in me disappeared and I clutched him tight against me. Eric responded by holding me tighter against him, giving me silently comfort. "You need to rest." I whispered after a few minutes, shaking in my voice. I didn't look at him like I had done the last time but could feel the buzz that was him in my mind slowly close when he died.

Closing my eyes I smelled him and fell into a peaceful sleep. Waking up later, I dragged myself away and padded into my own room. Sleeping beside Eric was oddly making me more relaxed and sane. I wanted to protest against myself again but I was so tired of it. I was annoyed at myself for acting like I did. I just wanted to forget it all and live blissfully, believing and embracing the bond. How wonderful it would have been if his glamour had worked on me.

Taking a shower to rid myself of his scent so Timmie wouldn't notice, I dressed and walked to the kitchen. I wanted to bake Gran's Christmas cake that she had baked every year for me and Jason. I opened all of the cabinets in search of the needed ingredients and was pleased to find everything I needed.

Baking the cake made me relax and when the familiar smell filled the kitchen I almost felt happy. When it was finished, I didn't want the good feeling and great distraction from my misery to end, so I started to make something else. I didn't know what time it was, but when Timmie emerged from her room the kitchen table was hidden underneath all of my baking's. "What is all this? It smells funny!" Timmie said, staring from me to the kitchen table.

"Well… Peanut butter bars, spiced butter cookies, white-chocolate cherry shortbread, lemon bar cookie cups, coconut snowballs, walnut kiss cookies, gingerbread cake and I have regular gingerbread cookies in the oven." I said and stared at her.

"Wow, you have worked fast if you have managed to make all this!" Timmie said, still shocked. I only nodded. "Try some." I encouraged her. Timmie looked very skeptical but eventually walked closer to the table and smelled everything. After some inspection she chose a spiced butter cookie. She chewed at it for a moment before her face screwed up and she stared at me. I only sighed and bent down and handed her a trash can. She delicately spit the cookie out before she smiled apologetically. "Sorry. But that was too sweet, too dry, and not bloody enough."

I only shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I didn't make it and hoped you would like it. I know you." I reminded her. "So this is how you celebrate Christmas?" She smiled.

"Yeah, Jason and I always used to watch movies underneath some blankets while Gran baked cookies and cakes for us." I said and looked down on my hands, remembering all of our Christmases together.

"Witch was your favorite movie?" Timmie asked excited.

"The Nutcracker. I woke up one Christmas morning when I was a little girl and found the movie in our living room. Dad always said it was Santa that had left it for me and Jason. Since they died, we always watched it together like a tradition." I was beginning to tear up again from the memories and hurried to distract myself, checking the gingerbread cookies that were still in the oven.

"That sounds nice. I always watched beauty and the beast." Timmie said understanding.

"Are you going to Fangtasia tonight?" I asked her, leading the subject away from the painfully memories. "Yes, Eric should be up soon, we leave in an hour. But I doubt there will be much people there today except the fangbangers that have nothing better to do… I'll ask Eric if we can come home earlier and we can watch a movie together." Timmie smiled.

"It's okay. I'll think I'll just head to bed soon anyway." I said shrugging. After the good sleep I had beside Eric I felt fully rested but I didn't want to stay up and be reminded of everything I didn't have or could do. "Sookie, you seriously sleep too much. I don't think it is good for you." Timmie said concerned. "I'm perfectly fine. Nothing could hurt me with the amount of Eric's blood I have inside me anyway" I said sharply without meaning to.

"Fine…" Timmie said and walked out in the living room, sitting down in the couch. I didn't follow her, still slightly teary eyed. Of course Eric decided to show up. I could see he regarded me and all of the cookies and cakes I had made. I didn't look at him, trying to act normal and force the tears back so they wouldn't show. I knew it was hopeless though. "Do you want to-?" He started but I cut him off. "No." There was no way in hell I would celebrate Christmas in Fangtasia. It was bad enough that I had to stay here! I wished Eric could disappear like he usually did, but instead he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me.

I didn't return the hug but neither did I push him away. I took comfort in his presence and tried to drown myself in it. He didn't say anything else, and suddenly he was gone, leaving me cold and lonely. I heard a door close and knew he and Timmie just had left me. Alone with all of my baking's I listened in on the complete silence in the house. Taking the gingerbread cookies out of the oven unfinished, I left the kitchen and walked into my bathroom. When I had surrendered myself to Eric he had made Timmie only bring the most important stuff. Timmie had deemed my toiletries and jewelry the most important, and I was for once happy with her choice. Digging into the bottom of my little toilet-case I found what I was looking for, something I hadn't seen on a very long time.

Popping three sleeping pills for good measure I crawled under the covers on the bed and cried until I was forced asleep.

**Eric POV**

Sookie came to me again, waking me from my slumber. I was happy with this new development but I was still irritated, making it that much harder for me to let her go like I knew I should. When I rose completely she was gone. I wondered if she still felt like yesterday, and wondered why she came to me in the first place. She hated me, right?

The smell hit me first. It was spicy, sweet, and repulsing all at once. Again I skipped the shower to have her scent with me through the night, and dressed quickly before I entered the living room. Timmie was sitting in the couch and I saw she was thinking hard about something. Following the smell I entered my kitchen and found my lover on the other side of the table. I looked at the table as it was packed full of what I knew was human cookies and cakes. Shifting my astonished gaze back to my bonded I saw the tears in her eyes she was willing away. I felt her hurt and struggle to keep calm.

I wanted to hold her badly, but didn't know if she wanted it or not. Instead I asked her even if I knew the answer. "Do you want to?-" I started but she cut me off. "No" she said and I felt the hurt swell a little more in her chest. Before I knew what I did I held her in my arms, comforting her. She didn't reject me, something I was happy about. I felt her absorbing the comfort I was giving her through the bond.

I wanted to stay this way for as long as possible, but was pulled back into reality when I felt Pam call me slightly in our Maker/Child bond. She was already at the bar and something needed my attention. Remembering who I were I released my lover and hurried out in the living room. Grabbing Timmie's arm I dragged her with me out of the house and into the corvette. Feeling Sookie's loneliness and hurt made me close off the bond for now as I concentrated on the business that might be waiting at me in my bar.

"Eric, can I go home earlier tonight?" Timmie asked in a low voice, knowing I wasn't in the best mood.

"Why?" I simply asked, driving faster towards Fangtasia. "I don't want to leave Sookie alone tonight. I know this day is important for humans."

I knew that as well but I didn't think Timmie should be getting off her punishment that easily. "No." I said with finality in my voice. Timmie growled in response. "It's no wonder she hates you so much!" she snapped.

Entering Fangtasia's empty parking lot I didn't bother to stop Timmie when she jumped out of the car and hurried inside. I should have punished her for saying something like that to me, but I knew she was right. That was why I planned to leave earlier and stay with my lover. I needed to know why she suddenly came to me before I made the call and sent her away.

Making my plan; get her to talk, I stepped out of the car and followed Timmie.

I smelled him the minute I sat my foot inside of the bar. Pam appeared before me in a flash. "Master, he was waiting outside when I came here right after dark…. Said he needed to talk to you immediately..." She said and actually sounded curious for once.

I nodded and continued down the hallway that lead into the bar area. "What a pleasure to have you in my bar again, wasn't last time enough for you?" I said smirking, strolling into the room.

"Eric, I need to talk to you." The dog said and stood from the chair he was sitting in. I mentioned him to sit again and sat down in the opposite chair with the table between us. "And why is that?" I asked him, knowing very well what was wrong. Timmie had told me about Sookie's regular calls to her brother and another friend called Sam. I had been meaning to punish Sam for lying to me all this time, but I figured he had his fill of punishment after Pam had played with him the first time.

Sam fidgeted in his seat trying to come up with the right words. "Is this about the contact you have been having with my little telepath?" I said and smiled, looking at his reaction.

"You know? You… You smell of her! What have you done to her?" He said shocked and then angry, standing from his chair. "Relax dog, she is safe." I said, purposely avoiding the question. "I haven't done anything to her."

"Release her at once!" he barked and I snapped down my fangs. "Sit down, or do I need to call for my child to restrain you while we talk?" I said dangerously. "I am not going to remind you again of who you are talking with. I am telling you that she is safe. Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

He sat down slowly, but still with murder in his eyes. "I want to see her." He said eventually.

"I have offered her many times to see you but she has refused. If she wants to meet you or anyone else, she will. But it will be when she wants to." I said in a matter of fact tone retracting my fangs.

"You have done something to her. She didn't want to be with you, it makes no sense!" He said angry.

I stood from my chair and towered over him. "I have only made sure she is safe. She is free to leave whenever she wants." I growled. I didn't really mean it as literally as I said. Sookie was free to leave but I would not let her leave unguarded.

"Does she know that?" The dog said, not backing down. Narrowing my eyes at him, I leaned in closer and snapping my fangs down again. "I am saying this one last time. She is safe, and she is free to leave when she wishes. You however should leave now, if you don't want to spend the night."

He gulped, slightly frightened and stood slowly up when I backed away. He gave me one last glare before he turned around and left.

"Now _that_ was entertaining. I was hoping he would be stubborn so I would have something to do tonight." Pam appeared beside me. I growled lowly as I started at the closed door that he had left through.

"Eric seriously, the tiger is driving me mad. I think we should call the Zoo." She stated and walked behind the bar to get it ready before the doors opened. "You will do no such thing Pam. It caused enough trouble the last time!" I hissed and retreated into my office, ignoring Pam's snicker following me from behind the bar.

Timmie had turned and was lounging on the floor beside my chair. She raised her head and stared at me as I entered. Even in her tiger form I could see the new hostility. Ignoring her too, I sat down and started to go through the paperwork to see if I had missed anything.

When it neared opening hours I called in Thalia to my office. "Yes Sheriff?" She said and bowed.

"You are in charge of Timmie tonight. Don't let her eat anyone if you don't think it is appropriate or if she doesn't deserve it. Just make sure no humans know." I ordered and stood from my chair.

"Yes Sheriff." She bowed again and I glamoured/told Timmie to follow her and do her job. Thalia was old and a skillful fighter. Timmie didn't have a chance if they had have met in battle. That was the reason Pam had troubles. Pam wasn't a newborn, but Timmie wasn't just a tiger. Timmie the tiger was practically raised in the pits so she could definitely fight. Not to mention I had trained her myself. Timmie was almost as good as Pam, and had actually managed to get the upper hand once in a while. That would of course end as Pam got older, but until then, I needed someone older to look after her if something happened, like last time I had been gone.

I heard the vermin start to enter the bar and swiftly made it outside. I drove home in unease, worried how Sookie would react to see me, and if she would talk at all.


	22. Chapter 22

**A special thanks to everyone who reviews and of course my beta Lady Doughnuts!**

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**Sookie POV**

"_Who are you?" I asked, shakily. The young man smiled, showing me his fangs and chuckled. "I am your new Master, and soon to be Maker." _

_I gasped in surprise. I knew he couldn't enter my house without an invite but I still felt scared. "You are not my Master and you will never be my Maker!" I spat. _

"_Sookeh" Bill appeared beside him. The moon was illuminating them both, making their eyes gleam in the dark night. "Bill? What are you doing here?" I said surprised. _

"_Sweetheart, you know I love you and you have to trust me. Let me inside." He said, stepping closer to the open door. I frowned, looked at him skeptically. "Bill, how did you find me? How did you know where I was?" _

"_Andre here helped me. Please love, let me in and I'll explain everything. This was just a misunderstanding." He pleaded. I looked into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. Still, it felt wrong. I didn't want to invite him in. I looked back to Andre where he had stood silently and watched us with a little smile. _

"_Sookeh please, I am sorry if you got hurt, but you must believe me when I tell you that you just assumed the worst. It was a misunderstanding. Let me in and I will explain everything to you. I love you!" Bill said again and drew my attention back to him. I believed him, but I couldn't understand what Andre was doing here. Why would he say he was my future master and maker? _

"_Bill, you may come in." I said and he rushed towards me, bringing me into his arms in a hug. "I knew you would believe me." He said in my ear before he pulled back and placed his lips over mine. I kissed him back before I tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let me. Eventually he let go and looked me deep into my eyes. I frowned, staring back into his where I found nothing but coldness. _

"_Sookeh" He said again before crashing his lips down on mine. I protested, wanted him to explain before we did this, but he held me tight and started to grope me. I panicked when I couldn't manage to push him off me. _

"_Compton, bring her out here" I heard Andre shout, still standing outside. Bill pulled away from my mouth, giving me room to breathe but was still sneaking his hands underneath my shirt. "You said I could have the first go." He snarled, not sounding anything like the Bill I knew. I looked at him shocked and started for real to twist and turn to get out of his grip. Bill only held me tighter, making me whimper out of pain. _

_That brought Bill's attention back to me and he continued his molestation. "I rescind your invitation!" I cried, but to my horror, he didn't let go and I was dragged along with him. Andre chuckled again and joined Bill. I screamed, cried and twisted, trying to get away. That was until I saw Eric a few meters away. "Eric please, help me!" I pleaded. "Eric!" I cried again when he didn't move. _

"_I'm sorry lover. You didn't want my protection." He said and was gone. "NO" I screamed desperate. "Please save me. ERIC. I'm sorry, PLEASE!" _

_He was gone and I was left in the hands of Bill and Andre. "I love you Sookeh" Bill whispered in my ear and Andre laughed. "Too bad you didn't believe your Viking. This is the best Christmas present I have gotten in 500 years" he said and sunk his long fangs harshly into my skin. _

_I closed my eyes as hard as I could before I opened them again. I was sitting in Gran's couch with a blanket around me, warming me. From the kitchen smelled the heavenly smell of Gran's baking's. The whole house smelled like Christmas. The TV was on and I looked at it. I recognized the character; the nutcracker was burning when someone had hit the pause button. I slowly stood from the couch, throwing out my "net" to search for brains. I got nothing. _

_I slowly walked to the kitchen but stopped when I got a clear view on the table. Mom, Dad, Gran, and little Jason was sitting around the table, dead. I started to cry as I saw the puncture marks in their neck. A vampire had drained them all. "Isn't this the best Christmas, my little pet?" I heard behind me. _

_I turned around and felt a bucket of ice water wash down my back when I saw Andre standing there. He was smiling, like nothing was wrong. Like he just hadn't drained my family and had blood smeared over his mouth and down his chest. "Come pet, I am not sated yet." He grinned and held out his hand for me. I followed my instinct and ran down the hall to the backdoor, trying to escape. I was out the door and half way down the steps when something hit me hard in my back, making me fall down on my stomach. _

"_Good pet. I like it when you struggle." Andre growled in my ear and flipped me to my back. "No." I cried and tried to push him off. "Get off me." _

"_I love the spirit in you. It is so much fun to break it." He smirked with his fangs down. "Now, shall you act like a good pet so I can enjoy you like I want to?" _

"_Please don't. No." I pleaded weakly and tried to push him off again. He laughed out loud. "Good. Just the way I want!" He said and attacked my neck. I passed out, going into the welcoming blackness within my mind. It felt secure, safe and warm. I never wanted to leave this place. _

I opened my eyes, realizing I wasn't in a dark place, but only waking from my nightmare. I breathed heavily and looked around before I noticed the strong arms holding me. Turning around I stared right into Eric's concerned eyes. "Eric" I croaked and started to cry. My dream had been more frightening and real than ever. Eric held me tight against him, stroking my hair and didn't say anything to comfort me. The bond was enough.

I managed to calm down after some time and silently lay against him with my face buried in his chest. "Do you want to tell me about it?" Eric asked. His chest rumbled when he talked.

I sniffed again, not knowing what I wanted or not. One thing was sure; I didn't want to feel this pain and helplessness anymore. "Did you know that if you hadn't come for me when you did, Andre would have taken me?" I said weakly.

Eric was silent for a second before he answered. "The Queens child?" he asked curious.

"Yes." I said and felt tears pressing again as my voice were muffled into his chest.

"How do you know?" He asked simply. "He told me." I whispered.

Eric didn't say anything for a while and I stared to fear that he would leave me. "I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't." he said eventually, changing the subject.

"I took some sleeping pills." I said and hugged him tighter. "Eric, I'm sorry."

"If anyone should be sorry, it's me Sookie. I never thought I would hurt you this bad by taking you home and protecting you." He said, chest rumbling and voice sad.

I didn't know what to say in return. I knew he was sorry, but sorry didn't cut it. I couldn't forgive him. "Why do you come to me?" He asked when he realized I wouldn't say anything in answer.

"Why did you come to me now?" I said in return, avoiding his question. "I wanted my question answered. And I didn't want you to be alone tonight." He explained.

"Like I have been every single night until now?" I whispered a little edgy.

He tensed and I could feel his muscles flexing beside me. "Why do you come to me?" He asked again.

I took my time figuring out if I should answer truthfully or not before I remembered he would know if I lied anyway. "The bond is making me."

"The bond can't force you to do anything, Sookie." Eric said sharply before he relaxed again. "Sorry." He said and stoked my hair in comfort again.

"Maybe not, but it is forcing me to feel for you. I am trying so hard to fight it, but I feel safe and complete with you. I can't resist it anymore." I said shakily and tears pressed again. God, I hated this so much.

"Why are you fighting it then?" He said curious.

"Because I know it is false emotions." I said and pulled away to look at him. Lust and desire was flaring inside of me when I looked him in the eyes and I buried my face quickly into his chest again to hide from it.

**Eric POV**

I had found Sookie in bed sleeping, but twisting and turning, obviously having a nightmare. I tried gently waking her up, and then a little more when she didn't respond. That's when I decided to join her on the bed and hold her. She calmed down slightly as I murmured softly in her ear. When she finally lay still I pulled away from her in order to wait in the living room for her to wake. When I pulled away however she started to thrash and twist again. I quickly held her again and was relieved when she woke.

She turned and looked at me with her teary eyes. I comforted her as best as I could, pleased that she allowed me too and took comfort in my presence. When she mentioned that Andre would have taken her if I hadn't done it, I was angry. I forced it down so she wouldn't notice but I was still fuming. Had he been following me to her house? It wasn't possible. I must have a tracker on me, or it was just a coincidence. But if Andre knew where Sookie was, why did it take so long time for the Queen to contact me when she knew I had her? Something was really wrong.

I felt guilty for hurting her so bad, especially when she apologized to me. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me Sookie. I never thought I would hurt you this bad by taking you home and protecting you." I said truthfully, stroking her hair. It was the first time I had admitted that I had been wrong in my actions. When she didn't reply I was slightly annoyed and hurt. But she was arguing with me, something I strangely enjoyed. Timmie was right; she was slowly starting to get back to being herself.

When she claimed that the bond was dominating her choices I was annoyed again. Not because she was ignorant in what the bond _really_ was about, but because I knew that she wouldn't believe me if I explained it to her anyway. She was stubborn and only wanted to believe what she thought was right and what _Bill _had told her before. She looked at me but quickly hid her face in my chest again. Slightly noticing the rising lust and desire in her I pretended not to, to ease her embarrassment as I willed my own lust away.

I wondered if I should tell her about my plan with Tora and if Sookie wanted the escape. But something was holding me back; I was the one to decide and be the ruthless vampire I was, and she had to do whatever I told her! I knew I was only fooling myself, and refrained from telling her in case she wanted to leave me.

I wanted to tell her I was sorry for everything I had done to hurt her but my pride was forcing it down. If I hadn't done what I had done, she would probably have been a newborn under Andre, Sophie-Anne or worse, _Bill_. Then I realized she had known all this time, since we'd been with the Queen. Was it Andre that was the real cause of her following me home?

"Are you sure you don't want to go see your brother, or Sam?" I asked, suddenly remembering that it was Christmas and she would probably be with her family and friends.

"No." She said into my chest.

"Why?" I asked and hoped she would answer what I always thought after I offered her to take her someplace and she declined.

She was silent for a while and I could feel her inside was like a tornado of emotions. "Because I don't want them to see me like this." She whispered. I wanted to ask more, but knew she would shut down if I pressed her with questions.

"You should at least call them." I said lowly into her hair. She still smelled different, but I detected some of the sweetness was back. "You didn't bring my phone when you stole me." She muttered. I clenched my jaw, irritated. Yeah, I knew it and she knew it, I had ruined her. But I had also saved her from Andre. I knew she would have been thoroughly abused and maybe even turned by now if I hadn't gotten to her.

"I will buy you a new one. In the mean time you can have mine." I said and shifted slightly so I could get my phone out of my pocket. "I don't want to talk to them anymore." She said and pushed the phone away.

I sighed felling she was acted childish. "Why?" I said again a little more annoyance presence in my voice. "It just makes me sad." She explained and I softened again.

Putting the phone away I cradled her closer in my arms. "Did you eat anything at all of what you made earlier today?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going and get it more casual so she would continue to talk.

"I threw it away." She said emotionless. I had noticed how she was beginning to lose weight. If she kept this up, she would waste away. "Why didn't you eat it?" I asked curious. No vampire liked the smell of human food, but it had looked tasty.

"I wasn't hungry." was her only reply. Tired of her lack of interest in the conversation, I closed my eyes and went into downtime still holding her tight. When I pulled out again, my arms were empty and cold. I opened my eyes and saw her sitting beside me and look at me. She met my eyes and I still saw the emptiness in them.

"What are you making Timmie do in Fangtasia as a punishment?" She asked me, calm and steady in her voice.

"I am not harming her." I said, not bothering to explain more. She didn't, so why should I?

"How do I know you are not lying?" She said narrowing her eyes. I knew she would never truly trust me, so instead I opened the bond completely. She gasped by the force of it, but I knew she could feel my sincerity. I knew she also could feel my pain, hate, confusion, irresoluteness, conflicts, longing, lust, desire, care and _love_ all at once.

She stared at me when I closed the bond again. "Do you believe me now?" I said and sat up in the bed. She only nodded and tears gathered in her eyes again. "What time is it?" She whispered.

"Five hours until sunrise" I said, knowing precisely when the sun would rise. "Oh. I guess I'll just sleep a little more" she said and stared down in her hands. "Sookie, you have been sleeping almost every hour of the day." I said and raised my brows.

She didn't look up at me, and I sighed. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything." I said eventually and stood from the bed.

**Sookie POV**

Why Eric suddenly came and started to talk with me I had no idea why. But I liked it and I liked how he held onto me. Still I didn't want to say too much and kept answering in short. I guess he had enough or was tired because I suddenly felt the buzz in the back of my brain die out. Pulling myself away from him, I saw he had gone down in downtime.

I looked at him closely and traced a finger over his nose, eyes and eventually lips. I sat up and crossed my legs, thinking about more I wanted to ask of him. He seemed eager to get me to talk, but didn't want to say anything himself.

I had finally told him about Andre. I didn't know if it was a smart move or not, but I felt better. Then, felt worse again because I knew I should thank him for saving me from him. Especially after the horrible dreams I had about that damn vampire. He almost frightened me more than Eric! That could be explained by the fact that I wanted Eric, and whatever he did I found it erotic. But Andre was just giving me the creeps and was obviously only wanting me for certain purposes. When Bill had first appeared in my dream, it was like a flash from the past. Like how I trusted him and loved him, but he betrayed me. I wondered if the dreams were signs, or just something the dark side of my mind played on me for fun.

I didn't realize that Eric had come back from his rest until his blue eyes burned into mine. A sudden thought hit me and I managed to stay calm asking it. "What are you making Timmie do in Fangtasia as a punishment?"

"I am not harming her." He said. Really, did he expect me to believe him?

"How do I know you are not lying?" I said narrowing my eyes. He stared at me for a second before something happened with the buzz in my brain and emotions I knew wasn't mine, flooded into me making me gasp. I could feel Eric's feelings! I wondered if he felt me like this all the time since I didn't bothered to close up my end. I started at him wide-eyed as I felt it. His pain, hate, confusion, irresoluteness, conflicts, longing, lust, desire, care, and even _love_ all at once.

"Do you believe me now?" He said and sat up from the bed. I didn't know what to believe. Was it truly his feelings or was it too only a creation of the blood bond? Tears welled up in my eyes and I nodded before trying to force them back. "What time is it?" I whispered to get some distraction.

"Five hours until sunrise" he said. "Oh. I guess I'll just sleep a little more" I said, lost at what else to say. I stared down in my lap embarrassed and still a little shocked.

"Sookie, you have been sleeping almost every hour of the day." He said and raised his eyebrows.

I didn't look at him but heard his sigh. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything." He said after a while and stood from the bed. I only continued to stare at my hands until I heard the bedroom door close behind him. I let go of the breath I had been holding and buried my face in my hands and groaned. This couldn't be happening.

I stood from the bed and headed into the bathroom for a cold shower. It felt good and it cleared my head a little. After the shower I was torn between going out in the living room or stay in the bedroom. I decided on the first. Eric sat on the couch and watched TV. He turned his head to look at me when I stopped a few feet behind him. "What are you watching?" I asked and looked at the screen. "Just a movie" he replied.

I walked closer and around the couch and sat down in the opposite end from him even though I really just wanted to sit in his lap and be as close as possible. After watching the TV in silence for a few minutes, Eric stood from the couch. I looked at him, wondering what he was doing. "Want anything from the kitchen?" He asked casually. I only shook my head and watched him walk away, studying his back and lower _form_ as he walked.

He came back with a bottle of True Blood and sat down right beside me. I shifted slightly uncomfortable with him being so close. I didn't trust myself to not do something stupid I knew I would regret and wasn't really _me _doing in the first place, but the blood. I tried my best to pay attention to the TV but felt myself helplessly heat up.

My face heated up from embarrassment but Eric didn't show any signs that he had noticed. I desperately tried to think of anything else but his perfect body, how his soft lips would taste and how his large hands would feel on (or in) me. I knew I was doomed and stood quickly from the couch and excused myself. I crawled into bed again and tried to get myself to sleep. But I had slept enough to probably cover one year from now and sighed heavily, irritated. Sometime later I heard the door to my bedroom open again and I knew it was Eric. I was facing away from him and didn't bother to turn around, even when I felt the bed sink down behind me and a naked, cold chest pressed itself into my back. He sneaked is arm around me and pulled me tight into his embrace.

I didn't say anything. I didn't move or pulled away from him. I _was_ wondering what he thought he was doing, but I knew I couldn't talk much. I had started intruding him in his sleep, so it was only fair. Yeah, that was a good excuse! It didn't have anything to do with how much better I felt when he held me.

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**So even if it wasn't "The talk", they talked, right (!?) that's a start! Again, thank you so much for the support and reviews, I love them all! **


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks for the reviews! Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this chapter! Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts. **

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**Eric POV **

It has been three weeks and I still haven't called my friend to get the bond between me and Sookie to disappear. I haven't made contact with Tora again and I didn't speak of it to Timmie anymore. Sookie hadn't changed much, but we had settled into a routine. Every day she came to my room and laid down with me. And every night I felt her sleep I went home from Fangtasia or wherever I was to hold her.

We still didn't speak much, and were still distant to each other. I still didn't know how she managed to wake me from my daytime rest. It was almost impossible for a vampire to do it but somehow I just felt the urge to open my eyes and she was there.

Timmie was still angry at me and Pam was still annoyed. I wasn't having the mood swings and anger fits like I used to (maybe that was why Pam was annoyed) but I was confused and conflicted. I knew I should give Sookie her freedom but I didn't want her to go; every time I wanted to give her up, there was always something inside telling me just to give her time. I had started to tell myself that I would heal what I had broken, and _then_ ask her if she wanted to leave.

Timmie had served her punishment well and was now free to do what she wished. Most of the time, she stayed home with Sookie, trying to cheer her up and get her to eat and work out again. I didn't know if I was jealous, angry or pleased that Timmie got to spend so much time with my bonded. Sookie however didn't look too pleased, especially those days she was supposed to work out. Her feelings told me she was irritated and annoyed, but I could also feel the spark return in her. Timmie was obviously pushing her a little too much and Sookie wasn't letting her.

I had just finished punishing a vampire in my basement and took a seat back in my throne. After Timmie had left the Vermin's had turned their full attention back to me. I wasn't complaining when they stroked my ego, but I was starting to feel restless. I had done some research on Andre and was surprised to know that he had found my lover without any help. I wondered how the fuck he had done it, when even _I _had problems locating her. I knew the Queen was after my lover and had actually started to make some plans to get rid of her for good.

"Master," Pam pulled me out from my thoughts.

"Pamela." I replied without looking at her. When she didn't speak I got annoyed. "Was there something you wanted to tell me since you came here instead of doing your job?"

"Can I leave early? I have plans tonight." She drawled.

"What plans?" I questioned her, when I felt that she was hiding something.

I felt her eyes on me for a few seconds before she finally gave in and told me. "I am going to see the tiger."

I couldn't help the smile that was tugging at my lips. "Why, my child, I thought you couldn't stand her."

"Can I go?" She snarled and added, _"Master?"_ after some time.

"You may go." I granted her the early leave. I had after all left her to close up for the last three weeks I had left early to go to my bonded. I found it amusing how my child tried to hide her fondness for Timmie from me. Pam always kept up her appearance when around others but I could see right through her. I wondered what they would do tonight.

**Sookie POV**

I was just finished screaming at Timmie after she had pushed me to run on the treadmill for far too long. I was certain that girl tried to kill me! I had sworn and cursed her like a mad woman, but she had only smiled and patted my hand before she quickened up the pace on her own treadmill.

I was thanking God when she finally said we were finished for the day and hurried myself into the shower and collapsed on the bed afterwards. I really hated the work outs even though I slightly felt a little better. I still didn't feel right. I was keeping strange hours, slept when I got tired without thinking about the concept of time. In the three weeks' time I had gotten better with the eating but still mostly denied Timmie when she tried to feed me. I was almost as pale as snow, something that really didn't work for me. I hated it, and it attributed greatly to the depressed state I was in.

I had "celebrated" New Year's Eve the same way I had done with Christmas. Why Eric decided to come home and keep me company I didn't know. Some part of me wanted it to be because he felt guilty and tried to cheer me up. The other part was that it was just a coincidence and nothing more. It was probably the hardest days in my life so far. I always used to spend New Year's in Merlotte's together with Tara, Sam, Lafayette, and Jason, my closest friends and family.

I had continued to go nuts in the kitchen, baking everything I could with what I found of ingredients. The baking made the house smell of home and reminded me of Gran, and I surrendered myself completely into the good memories and comfort.

As I lay in bed and thought about it, depressed and sad, I heard Timmie outside from the living room. "Pam, what are you doing here?" She sounded through the door. I knew she didn't like Pam more than I did.

I was however slightly curious as to why she was here. She never spent her time here anymore. I strained myself and tried to hear what she said, but jumped in the air when the door leading into my bedroom was burst open.

"Okay Cupcake, I've had enough!" She said and started me down from the door, fully dressed in black leather, fangs out. If my heart hadn't been racing from the unexpectedly sudden visit, it would have been now, after seeing how scary and vampire-like she looked. I was sitting in the bed only wearing a towel as I gaped at her. "You need to pull your shit together so my Maker doesn't meet his final death!"

"Excuse me?" I said, still gaping. Why would Eric meet his final death?

"You heard me, blood bag. You need to stop with this moping and pitying yourself already. I have tried to ignore it, but I have had enough!" She said and closed the door in Timmie's shocked face when she appeared in the door behind her. Pam took a few more steps into the room and stood towering over me.

I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. Was Pam really serious? I felt myself getting angry. "Who do you think you are? I have not asked for any of this! I tried to get away from all of this shit, but your stupid Maker had to drag me back!" I started to rant but Pam had a hand around my throat.

"Call my Maker stupid one more time!" She snarled. I gulped and stared at her, knowing she was serious in her threat.

When I didn't say anything she slowly let go. "Okay, here's the deal. I don't like you anymore than you like me. But you behave like a child and it is affecting my Maker."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how I should be happy by getting ripped away from my life, forced into a blood bond, forced to work for you Queen and held captive." I said sarcastically.

"If it had been up to me, you would have been dead long time ago, sugar. But for some absurd reason, my Maker has a fascination with you, and he has developed _feelings_. He loves you, Sookie." She said and raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Eric doesn't love." I said stubbornly.

"Eric loved Godric, he loves _me, _and he loves _you." _Pam said with the same amusement.

"He isn't capable of loving humans!" I spat, tired of hearing about him. Timmie had tried enough times to make me change my mind.

"Well, maybe not, but you aren't entirely human. I know it may seem hard to believe, but I tell you what I know for fact. I and Eric have a Maker/child bond, strongest magic in the world between us. Trust me, I know."

I glared at her. "So, is it Eric that has ordered you to tell me this?"

"Eric doesn't know that I am with you." She said seriously.

I didn't know what to do anymore. Not only was the blood fooling me and Eric, but Pam was tricked as well! "It is just the blood bond. I know I wouldn't have felt about him what I do if it hadn't been for it. I hate him, it was a reason I left after all!"

"You are totally overestimating the bond. It intensifies the attraction, but it's not some sort of ridiculous love spell, Sookie. It does not force you to blush and shiver. Neither does it force you to act upon whatever fantasies you may have." Pam said and placed her hand on her hip.

"I don't believe you." I said shocked. I couldn't believe her! I was not feeling the things I did for Eric, it couldn't be me!

"Don't worry, I didn't think you would. But I didn't come here to convince you on how the blood bond works. I am here because you need to pull yourself together. I didn't want you here anymore that you did, but you still have a life. Eric isn't a bad Master and he certainly isn't holding you captive. He just wants to protect you."

"I don't want to be with him, Pam! I am not going to be his sex toy or his beverage he can drink whenever he wants." I snapped.

"And I didn't tell you to be." She hissed back. "We – me, you and Timmie are going out. Now!"

I stared at her like she had grown two heads. She hated Timmie, and she hated me, and now she was taking us all out? "I don't want to go out." I said irritated.

"You are coming, neither you want or not." She smiled, flashing her fangs.

I looked at her for a few seconds, wondering if she would drag me out or not if I resisted. Eventually I sighed and claimed myself defeated. "Fine, just get out so I can get dressed."

She snapped in her fangs, looking smug as ever as she ripped open the door where Timmie was still standing and walked outside leaving me alone to dress.

I actually put on some make-up, dressed in my nicer clothes and actually felt pretty good. Exciting my room I found a worried, confused looking Timmie and a bored, yet amused Pam. "Shall we?" She said and walked upstairs. Timmie looked at me in confusion before she shrugged and followed after Pam.

"Pam, are you sure Eric is okay with this?" I asked her nervously while buckling up in the large SUV. Pam grinned at me. "He will probably be angry with _me_ for telling him a little white lie as humans put it, but I can assure you that I will protect you with my life if something would happen and he knows it. So don't worry."

I knew Eric trusted his child, so I wasn't worried about my safety (I could take care of myself if needed to), but I was still nervous. I didn't want him to get angry with me or Timmie. I knew he wouldn't punish me but Timmie wasn't completely safe from his wrath. Pam I didn't care about what happened.

"So what's the plan?" Timmie said excited from the backseat.

"We are going to have some fun!" Pan sniggered. I didn't like the sound of that. What Pam found funny was not something I could picture myself finding funny.

"Can you be a little more specific?" I asked her, not hiding my suspicious.

"Well, we are going to La Cassandra, a high class bar. Then, you two are going to get drunk, before I drink Timmie's blood and get drunk as well. That way, we all get drunk and are going to have fun!"

I rolled my eyes. "Pam, I'm not in the mood to get drunk."

"Does it look like I care?"

"Why do you only plan to drink from Timmie?" I asked her.

"If my fangs even go near my Makers loved one, I am asking for final death." Pam said amused. I widened my eyes at her. "Would he really kill you?" I asked shocked.

Timmie leaned closer to the front and smiled broadly. "He wouldn't, but Pammy here would get a hell of a punishment!"

"Yeah, yeah." Pam said and shifted gear. I held on for dear life as I tried not to think about what I would look like if the car crashed. At one point, I was certain the car lifted from the ground.

Eventually Pam pulled in in front of a building with a light blue sign that read La Cassandra. I was glad we didn't go to Fangtasia. We were walking towards the entrance when Pam's phone started ringing. "It's Eric. Go inside and get a table." She ordered me and Timmie and we complied.

La Cassandra wasn't like Fangtasia at all (thank god). I was again reminded of my lack of need to have my shields up and quickly shoved them in place before I could hear everyone's thoughts. The insides were all in light blue and gray. The bar on the far side wall was full of people trying to get their drinks. On the left side were a few steps down to the large dance floor which already was crowded. On the right there were high tables people could sit and drink and take a break.

Timmie had already started to walk over to an empty table and I followed suit. I was just sitting down when Pam appeared beside us. "He is mad. But I assured him I would take good care of you." She drawled bored before surveying the crowd. "Good, now, go buy us some drinks." Timmie said, looking around. I could tell that she wasn't completely comfortable being in such a public place with many humans, but she assured me she was fine.

Pam disappeared and reappeared a few moments later with a few drinks each for all of us. "They said it was high class… Well that was just a lie" She said with her bored tone, but drained her glass of blood.

I only shrugged, not really caring about the standard of the bar, as long as it wasn't a vampire bar. After how my new lifestyle was; not eating, training, sleeping, it didn't take long before I felt intoxicated. Timmie had never been a drinker much, so she too was soon very woozy. "Perfect, my turn!" Pam smiled and clicked out her fangs. Timmie didn't look so excited, but reluctantly followed Pam so she could feed off of her.

I again, shrugged and didn't really care what they were doing. As long as it wasn't me, I was fine with it.

"Hey there, girly!" A voice behind me made me turn around. It was a man who was as drunk as me I figured when he leered at me, unbalanced where he stood.

"Hey." I replied happily. Why I hadn't started to drink before, I didn't know.

"Are you here alone? I can keep you company if you like." He said and wiggled his eyebrows.

I giggled. "Sorry, my friends are just feeding and being fed on at the moment. They'll be back." I said and took a large sip from my drink.

"You are really pretty." He smiled and leaned closer.

"Thank you!" I beamed and patted his cheek. "You are not so bad yourself."

"Do you want to skip the chit chat and just make out right away?" He said and smiled wider.

"Oooh." I said and looked at him again. "I'm sorry, but if we do, my _Master _is going to kill you." I said and patted his shoulder and giggled again.

"Who is it, I can fight him off" He said and boxed out in the air. Before I managed to answer, Pam and Timmie came back. "Hey, Sook, Who's the intruder?" Timmie smiled before she stumbled as she sat down.

Pam reached out and grabbed her before she could hit the ground and placed her in her chair. She looked different, more relaxed and her eyes were puffy and she was actually smiling. "Beat it, blood bag" She said and clicked out her fangs. The man ran away fast, making all of us laugh.

"You shouldn't scare people like that, Pam" I said laughing. "Why not, it's so much fun" She said and stood from her chair. "Come on, let's dance!"

We hurried our way to the dance floor and started dancing to the beats. Every time men came to close to either me or Timmie, Pam chased the away. This was girl's night out, apparently. We danced and drank a little more, before the hours of the night caught up with us and we had to leave.

"Pam, I'm reaaally not comfortable with you driving, especially now that you are drunk" I slurred and grabbed her arm for support as we walked back to the car. Timmie only giggled beside us.

"I am an excellent driver Cupcake and I can get us all home in a matter of minutes!" She said while smiling satisfied. Her new nickname for me was apparently "Cupcake", something I didn't bother to protest against.

"Yah, that what's worries us" Timmie said, but crawled into the car anyway.

Amazingly Pam got us all home in one piece. We were all giggling when we walked down in the underground apartment. We all stopped in the door when Eric was sitting on the couch looking amused at us. My happy mood was instantly tampered.

"Why, my child, have you bitten the big tiger and gotten drunk?" Eric stood from the couch and looked down at Pam. Pam only stood silent, but smiled a very smug smile. "She made me do it." She said eventually and disappeared before my eyes, probably into her room.

Eric turned to Timmie and raised one of his eyebrows questionably. "It was Sookie's idea!" Timmie said quickly before she ran in the direction of her room and disappeared inside as well.

"Hey!" I shouted after her, offended that they left the blame on me. When none of them came out or answered at all, I nervously looked up at Eric. He had crossed his hands before his chest and looked at me with gleam in his eyes. "Did you have fun, lover?"

"Stop calling me that." Was the only thing I came up with saying, before I walked around him and into my own room. Eric stood in the doorway and looked at me with a thoughtful expression. "Did you have a good time Oh High and Mighty Master?" I said and grinned at him. I couldn't help it. It was kind of funny, that people actually called him Master.

"Not as much as you did, apparently." He smirked.

"Well, you had shitty company." I said and started to undress.

"I take it that you enjoy my child's and Timmie's company then?" Eric said and took off his shirt.

I stopped a minute to ogle his perfect body (not bothering being discreet) before I smiled and turned around again. "I do. Did you know Pam was a very talented swing dancer?" I giggled again, thinking about how Pam had dragged me into dancing swing after glamouring the Dj to play Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Goode". I was a pretty good dancer, but dancing swing with Pam was one of the funniest things I had ever done.

"Of course, who do you think thought her?" Eric chuckled.

I spun around and gaped at him. "_You _dance swing?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Eric smirked, rising his eyebrow in that sexy way.

I threw my head back and laughed. This was just too hilarious! Eric Northman, the scary vampire Sheriff of area 5, thousand year old killer had actually bothered with learning swing. When I sobered after laughing until I couldn't stand I looked at him again. He was standing now in only his white boxers and smiled at me.

"What?" I said after a little while ogling him again.

"I love how your face lights up when you laugh." He said serious.

I flinched a little, not expecting that. Come to think about it, it was actually the first time I had laughed that much since I could remember. A stab of sadness pierced in my chest with the realization. "Oh." I said and looked down at myself. I was only sitting in my underwear, hidden from Eric's eyes by the bed. I slowly stood up and went over to the closet to retrieve my PJ's. When I was dressed, I turned around and looked at Eric again. I wouldn't let his comment ruin my perfectly fun night. I was grateful for Pam's way of persuasive power and actually had a great time.

I went to the bed and dragged the covers back and lay down on my back. Tilting my head I looked up at the tall vampire standing beside me and looking down at me. His fangs were out and his gaze heated. I immediately felt warm spreading through my body. God, if he could only take me and make love to me like we both wanted. But I knew it was the blood and I tried to think of something else.

Pam's words filtered my mind. _"You are totally overestimating the bond. __It intensifies the attraction, but it's not some sort of ridiculous love spell, Sookie. It does not force you to blush and shiver. Neither does it force you to act upon whatever fantasies you may have."_

I gulped hard and looked back at Eric. Reluctantly making room for him, he lay down beside me. I hesitated for the first time in the three weeks before I cuddled into his body. My leg brushed against something hard I knew all too well was his manhood. I blushed heavily and suddenly felt very sober.

Eric circled his arms around me wasn't helping much to cool down, even if his body was cold. The places my naked skin touched his seemed to be on fire. I was trying to come up with things to say to ease the sexual tension when I realized I was more tired than I had even been and sleep claimed me.

**Eric POV**

I was bolted by my lover's sudden worry and slightly fear. Through the bond I knew she wasn't in the house. I stood quickly before I checked the bond to Pam and relaxed slightly when I felt her presence coming from the same direction as Sookie's.

Pam was amused and slightly excited. What was my child up to? I vamped into my office and pulled up my phone calling her.

"Pam." I said sharply in the phone when she picked up. I could hear traffic and music in the background of where she was.

"_Yes, Master?" _Pam said, still amused.

"What are you up to? I thought you said you were going to be with Timmie." I paced my office, talking calmly.

"_I am, with Timmie. We just brought your fairy as well." _She explained.

"Where are you and what are you doing?" I demanded.

"_Eric relax, we are at La Cassandra and we are going to get drunk." _She sniggered.

"Pam." I growled. I didn't like this. I didn't like not being there to protect my lover.

"_I promise I will take care of her, Master. I'll protect her with my life from the big bad men in the bar." _

"I will have your fangs if something happens to her, Pamela." I snarled angry. I knew I shouldn't have let her leave.

"_Have I ever disappointed you?" _She drawled.

I decided not to answer that one. Instead I just hung up. Pamela had never done something to disappoint me in the manner of serious tasks. What she did in her free time, example creating war with my Timmie was something else. Something unnecessary she only did to spite and annoy me, and took of course great pleasure of doing if it worked – something that it usually did. Every time.

I was sitting on my throne again, only waiting to feel something bad through the bond with my lover. When the hours passed I was getting more relaxed and slightly amused. I could feel they all having fun and that pleased me greatly.

When it was time for me to go home, I was excited to greet them all. Especially my child... It was a long time since she had been intoxicated, something we both enjoyed being in the sixties and seventies.

I heard the car pulling into the gravel upstairs and their giggling when they entered the house. I sat still and only watched the door until it opened and the three women in my life burst through a little indelicately.

"Why, my child, have you bitten the big tiger and gotten drunk?" I stood from the couch and smirked. They all looked so happy. Sookie however I felt returning to her depressed self.

I towered over my child, challenging her to lie or hide from me. "She made me do it." Her goofy grin turned wider, knowing very well I knew the truth, but she snapped into her room before I could tease her more.

I turned to the next object I could tease, Timmie. She didn't look at satisfied and comfortable as Pam did and I only raised my eyebrow in question. "It was Sookie's idea!" She said quickly and ran in the direction of her room. I could have stopped her, but only chuckled a little for myself.

Sookie however, wasn't so pleased with her friends. "Hey!" She shouted after them. I could hear them both giggle, but with Sookie's human hearing she guessed they ignored her. I only stared at her amused when she raised her glance and looked at me. "Did you have fun, lover?" I smirked.

"Stop calling me that." Was all she said before she too retreated into her room. My chest swelled with joy as she for the first time talked me back like that. I stopped in the doorway and looked at her. I wondered if she would leave us all if I offered her an out now. I still hadn't called my friend who could help destroy the bond, and I didn't want to either.

Sookie pulled me out of the dark thought of sending her away. "Did you have a good time Oh High and Mighty Master?" She grinned. My body instantly responded when I heard the "Master" and ignored the "High and Mighty" even if it was kind of true.

"Not as much as you did, apparently." I smirked. I liked drunk Sookie.

"Well, you had shitty company." She said and pulled off her shirt before she started on her pants.

I started to undress myself to get ready for my daytime slumber. "I take it that you enjoy my child's and Timmie's company then?"

Sookie stopped a minute and shamelessly looked at me, and not in the eyes. My body responded even more, knowing she was watching me, eye fucking me and didn't even try to hide it. She smiled and turned away from me.

"I do. Did you know Pam was a very talented swing dancer?" She giggled. Feeling how amused she was about this fact made me chuckle. "Of course, who do you think thought her?"

She spun quickly around and stared at me, mouth hanging open. "_You _dace swing?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" I smirked again and raised my eyebrow. It was a necessarily to blend in and learn the cultures of the population I stayed with through my thousands of years. It wasn't something I had done in a few decades, but I remember I enjoyed it very much. The only thing I didn't bother to learn was to cook human food. That was the one unnecessary thing I avoided completely.

I waited expectedly on her answer. Instead of an answer she threw her head back and laughed. Her blonde hair shimmered, her skin glowed slightly and her smell, her _normal_ smell I hadn't smelled for a long time filled the room deliciously. The bond fluttered with humor, making me want to laugh myself. She sunk to the floor, trying to catch her breath between her laughs. It was like music to my ears. She was so beautiful.

"What?" She said after a little while and I realized I had just stood and looked at her.

"I love how your face light up when you laugh." I said, looking deeply into her eyes so she would know I spoke the truth.

She flinched a little and I suddenly felt her pain returning to the surface again. I frowned, wondering what I had said wrong.

"Oh." She said and looked down in her lap where she sat behind the bed. She was sad. I wondered what she was thinking. She went to get her Pj's though I wouldn't object if she chose to sleep in her underwear. When she lay down she looked at me expectantly. Her lovely smell and beauty made me want to ravish her right then and there. I didn't even notice my fangs sliding down; I was too lost in her eyes.

I snapped out of it when she shifted slightly and gave me room to lie down. I did, trying to force my aroused state away. When she cuddled against me in closed my eyes tight as her leg brushed against my massive painful erection. I felt her lust through the bond and was careful not to smell the air where her arousal would probably be heavy in case I lost control of myself.

I circled my arms around her and felt relieved when she fell asleep. I looked down at her and kissed her softly on her forehead before I let the sun drag me under and into my death.


	24. Chapter 24

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! **

**Thanks for all the reviews! Hope you will like this chapter :-)**

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**Sookie POV**

I woke lying nestled into Eric's arms. Slowly thoughts about yesterday came back. Pam yelling at me before taking me and Timmie out… Getting drunk, dancing and talking until we were kicked out when the bar closed… I cringed slightly, expecting a massive hangover. Surprised I found myself perfectly fine!

I checked the time and realized I had almost slept through the whole day. I stood from the bed and decided I needed a shower. I stood under the warm spray for God knows how long just thinking about how much fun it had been last night. Especially the swing dancing with Pam. I wondered if it was once in a lifetime experience for me, or if I could talk her into dancing with me again. She had looked so relaxed in her whole body. She had smiled and laughed! If I hadn't known her before, I had believed she was a normal human woman, a typical soccer mom perhaps, sneaking away from her perfect husband to dance and have a girl's night out. I liked drunk Pam.

I jumped slightly when someone knocked on the bathroom door.

"Sookie." I heard Eric through the door. How long had I've been in here?

"Yeah?" I answered, straining my hearing and wondering what he wanted.

"Pam and I are leaving for Fangtasia. Do you want to come along? Or I could take you somewhere else if you'd like?" He said loudly so I could hear him. It became a regular question he asked every night. And every time I answered "no". I didn't want to go to Fangtasia or anywhere else with him. I didn't want him to be nice to me dam it, it made it so much more difficult to hate him like I know I really did!

I opened my shields and still felt his presence right outside of the door, even when I had said I wouldn't go. I wondered why he didn't leave. He didn't say that Timmie was going with them. That meant I needed to come up with distractions for us so she wouldn't deem our time perfect for a work out. Eventually I felt Eric's presence leave and both the voids disappear from out of the house and my range. I sighed and got out of the shower, dried my body and hair before I dressed.

When I entered the living room, Timmie was nowhere in sight. She was probably still asleep and I decided for once to bring _her _breakfast in bed. The kitchen still smelled slightly of my Christmas baking when I entered it and I drew in a heavy breath, smelling it. I smiled sadly before I opened the fridge to look for something good for breakfast.

I decided on some simple ham and cheese sandwiches, coffee for me and orange juice for Timmie. I knocked on her door before I opened it awkwardly, trying to hold the tray with food straight. "Morning, Sook." She mumbled tiredly and sat up in the bed.

"I made us breakfast." I said and placed the tray in front of her.

"Thanks. " she smiled and started chewing small pieces of the sandwich. "Was Eric mad last night?"

"No, I think he just thought we were funny. And by the way, I don't like you blaming _me _for everything!" I said, faking the offended tone at the end. I would mind if I got in trouble for it, but since "our Master" didn't seem to mind (and he probably knew the truth anyway) I didn't care. I just hoped it wouldn't become a habit.

"It was funny, though! You had fun, right?" Timmie giggled before she got serious.

"Yeah, it actually was." I admitted.

"Good, then you can help me and Pam with operation 'Revenge on Eric'" She smiled.

I frowned. "Revenge? For what?" I asked confused. I thought he could do whatever he pleased with them both?

"Well, Pam and me always played tricks on him and made him go crazy. We haven't been able to do that ever since… You know. And he is just moping around anyway so he is distracted and a much easier target." She explained.

I didn't know if I liked the sound of that. But one thing didn't fit. "I thought you and Pam hated each other?"

"We do, but we have one thing in common and that is making Eric go ballistic and enjoy every minute of it when he does. It actually started with bantering and doing pranks on each other. But then we made peace and joined forces, deciding to use our good common talent to annoy Eric instead. He never would figure out which one of us he should punish, but he usually guessed right. Sometimes he didn't care which one of us that actually did it and punished both of us."

"Okay, hold it right there! What kind of punishments are we talking about?" I asked tense.

"Don't worry Sook, he just humiliated us in public or punished us with things that fitted us most. Pam, would he deny shopping of any kind, and me he would fight or commanded me not to change from my human form."

I gasped slightly. "He fought you?" Shivers ran down my spine, and it was not the pleasant ones.

"Yeah, nothing serious, I thought it was fun until he beat me. I hate to lose! And he didn't hurt me and you need to get over that..." She looked pointy at me. I couldn't help replaying the pictures of him hovering over Timmie as he hurt her without regret.

"So now you want me to join you?" I questioned her. I didn't know if I was ready for any of that. Eric could read right through me anyways and know if I did something. But then again, taking out my "revenge" in that way didn't seem so bad. Maybe it could be fun together with Pam and Timmie. I betted Pam had a few funny things to play on him.

"Yes! It will be so much fun!" Timmie smiled happy and drained her class from juice.

I only shrugged my shoulders, not really decided yet and not wanting to give my final answer. Timmie nodded in understanding.

"So what shall we do today?" She said after a little pause.

"How about we just relax and watch a movie? I am so tired from yesterday." I suggested. I knew I lied when I said I was tired (It was probably Eric's blood that prevented the hangover!) but I didn't want to work out tonight.

"Sure." She said. "You go pick a movie and I'll be right out"

I took the tray from her lap and cleaned up before I headed out in the living room. They had a lot of movies, most of them action or historical, and only a few chick flics. I wasn't in the mood for war and death, so I looked through the girly movies (even though I knew Timmie didn't like them, but she said I could pick). I was considering "The Notebook" or "A walk to Remember" when Timmie appeared.

"Can't we see something else?" She wined when she peeked over my shoulder to see my choices.

"Like what?" I asked her.

"How about "Coraline"?" She suggested eagerly.

I frowned. "That's a kid movie."

"I know, but I still like it! I usually just watch it when I'm sick or tired but we could watch it now. It is not good but not bad either. It is kind of weird but I like it." She explained and showed the movie into my hands.

I shrugged. "Fine." I said and inserted it in the DVD player.

We were halfway through the movie when Pam suddenly came through the door. "Hey Cupcake, tiger." She nodded in greeting.

"Why aren't you at Fangtasia?" Timmie said as I paused the movie.

"I convinced Eric to give me some time off. After all, I have been working constantly for the last six months, doing my own work and his, while he was crying over Sookie." She drawled.

I glared at her for bringing him up again. And I knew he wouldn't cry over me.

"Go and put on something nicer to wear, we are going out." She ordered us. "Drinking again?" I asked not too overly enthusiastic. I did have fun last night, but I was kind of ready to stay inside and relax.

"No, just go get dressed." Pam said again, not offering anymore explanation. I sighed and stood from the couch, not wanting to know what would happen if I denied her.

Returning to the living room in new clothes I hoped Pam would approve of we waited for Timmie to join us.

"Shall we?" Pam said eventually and walked up the stairs with me and Timmie behind her. I buckled up beside her in the car, Timmie in the back seat like yesterday and didn't even try to think of where we were going this time. All I concentrated myself of was to hold on while Pam drove like a crazy person.

"By the way, no one will know about what we did yesterday. Is that understood?" Pam said and glanced at me. I only nodded with my eyes on the road. She didn't need to elaborate on what would happen if I told anyone of her smiling and dancing.

We drove for some time in silence before Pam parked in front of a fancy building. "What is this?"" Timmie asked as we stepped out of the car.

"This, my annoying little brat is heaven." Pam said bored and walked quickly till the entrance with me and Timmie half running behind her.

We entered the building and I looked around stunned. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes, Cupcake. We all need a little refreshments and what is better than spa treatments?" Pam smiled slightly.

I never thought I would feel so much love for Pam as I did in that moment. It was a thing I never would have thought of and I knew I shouldn't take it for granted. I wondered why Pam would be so nice, though. I knew she didn't like me or Timmie much, so she could have just come here alone. I didn't ask her that, and instead got into my robe before I followed them into the sauna. Both Pam and Timmie didn't bother with robes, but I still had my dignity and morals (to Pam's most displeasure.).

"So how long are you free from Fangtasia?" Timmie asked.

"Until Eric gets tired of being there alone to entertain the vermin." Pam said bored, eyes closed.

"Has anything changed?" I asked curious. I wasn't really gone for that long, but you'll never know.

"Besides Eric new lifestyle without sex? Nothing much." She drawled. It wasn't really what I had asked about, but I didn't dig anymore. Why would Eric stop having the fangbangers? Instead of trying to figure out what I never could, I leaned back and relaxed. We didn't talk anymore before it was time to enter the bubble bath. I didn't bring a bikini or something to cover myself with, so I was standing beside the tub skeptically.

"Oh, come on, we won't bite." Pam said amused.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, like I would believe that for a second."

"We promise we won't look, Sookie, just get in." Timmie said and covered her eyes with her hands. Pam just started at me while smiling.

"I think I'll just skip this part." I said and pulled the robe closer around me.

"No, come on, it is wonderful in here. You need it." Timmie said and looked through her fingers. "If we turn around, would you get in?"

I thought about it for a moment before I gave in. The bubbles would cover me anyway, so if I could just get in and out without them looking I should be fine. I mentioned for them to turn around and glared at Pam when she lingered. "You know, you really should let me touch your boobs." Pam said, back towards me as I opened the robe to reveal my naked self.

"I can't think of a single good reason for why you should touch them, never less look at them, Pam." I said and climbed into the tub. All set and covered by the bubbles, they turned around. Timmie smiled at me, but Pam looked natural before she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "I have lots of them! They are really nice looking."

"You haven't seen them." I said and covered the girls even if I knew she couldn't see through the water. Or could she? With her superpower eyes she might as well do.

"Yes I have. And I need to see if they feel as nice as they look." She smiled a little smile, showing the tip of her fangs.

"I don't think Eric would be so happy about that." Timmie said and looked from Pam so me and shook her head smiling.

"As long as Sookie is happy, he is happy. I know you haven't let his hands anywhere near them, so they are probably a little lonely. Another reason for why I should touch them." Pam pointed out.

"How do you know?" I said offended. He hadn't got his hands near them, which were true even how much I wished for it to happen. His large hands on my body made me dizzy, just by thought.

"I told you, I can feel him. Besides, he wouldn't be so fucking grumpy if you had let him take you already." She said.

Okay, now I was kind of offended. Who exactly did she think I was? I wasn't just a fangbanger and I wasn't in his care willingly. "Why are you always taking his side?" I said annoyed.

"Besides that he is my Maker? Do you need more ridiculous reasons?" She said and opened her eyes slightly and looked at me through her eyelashes.

I rolled my eyes, tired of their lame excuses. "Gee, relax; she didn't say you _should _let him take you and Pam doesn't blame you." Timmie said and frowned.

"It sure does sound like it." I mumbled.

"Not at all. You both are dead if you ever repeat this, but I actually admire you a little. You are strong Sookie, a rare quality in a breather, especially with everything you have been through. I don't approve of my Makers actions towards you, and our lives would have been so much easier if you were just gone. But you are not, so I have to deal with it like you do." Pam had her eyes closed again and I only stared at her. I wasn't a secret that Pam wanted me gone so ignored her last part. Pam had actually complimented me and she was actually taking my side even if she would always support her Maker when it came down to it. It gave me a warm feeling inside, knowing that I had her silent support.

"Thanks." I said and leaned back. Timmie smiled at me and did the same.

"Don't mention it. And I mean ever again. Now, let's just shut up and relax, shall we?" Pam said, back in the bored monotone state.

I smiled slightly for myself and did as she said.

A while later we were lying on the massage tables getting hot stone massages. "This is so good." Timmie said dreamy.

I only sighed in reply, totally agreeing. The hot stones were doing wonders to my body as my masseuse massaged them all over. Pam was lying beside me and I was careful to have my private parts covered with the towel.

When the massage was done we got both pedicure and manicure. "I can't remember the last time I felt this good." I said, not directing it to anyone in particle.

"I know. We need to do this more often." Timmie agreed.

"We can come whenever we want. It is one of my businesses." Pam drawled.

"Really?" I said, opening my eyes to look at her where she sat in the chair beside me.

"It is actually one of the few I am the only owner and not sharing with Eric." She nodded.

"Hm." Was all I could think of reply. I thought she and Eric only had Fangtasia. "What other businesses do you have?"

"Clothes, make-up… Things Eric doesn't bother with. Oh, speaking of clothes, we are going shopping tomorrow."

Timmie groaned, not liking the sound of that. "Why?" She whined.

"Cupcake here needs some nice clothes to wear when she is going to the Queen next week." Pam explained.

"I have nice clothes." I protested.

"You need proper clothes suited to work for the Queen in." She said annoyed.

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to protest anymore. I didn't like it; I knew Pam would throw me the most expensive clothes I could afford. I knew I would spend Eric's money, something I definitely didn't like. But then again, it wasn't me that made up a contract to work for the Queen, so why shouldn't he pay? That thought made me settle back into the relaxed state as we finished our treatments.

My legs felt like jello as we dressed and got back in the car. Pam drove considerably slower and more comfortable than the last time. When we entered through the doors to the light tight apartment we all froze in the door, much like yesterday.

"Why aren't you in Fangtasia?" Pam asked Eric suspiciously. He was sitting with his back towards us and only turned his head slightly when he replied. "It was boring."

He didn't say anything more, but I could feel Pam getting back to being annoyed and sour. She didn't say anything though, and it was Timmie that eventually broke the silence. "I am going out hunting. I'm hungry. Or are you going to make something?" She asked me.

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."

"I know it was a stupid question." She said as she turned in the door and headed upstairs again.

"Well, I think I just need to head back to Fangtasia and have a snack." Pam said and turned around as well. "Be ready to go around eight." She said to me and disappeared.

I suddenly felt very self-conscious, being the only one in the room with Eric after last night. I didn't know why, but I just did. That was until I noticed he watched the rest of "Coraline". I frowned slightly, wondering what he was thinking.

Eric POV

I didn't want to give Pam time off, but I knew she deserved it. I was jealous. I could feel how relaxed and more normal my lover became wherever Pam had taken her. Fangtasia was its usually boring self. The giggling and used up fangbangers threw themselves at my feet.

Eventually I had enough. It was late anyways and the bar would close in three hours. I got up and drove home where I found the TV on pause.

It was Timmie's favorite "relax movie" I knew she always watched when she was bored, sick or just not in the mood for her usual passion for action, blood and horror.

I got a True Blood from the fridge and sat down in the couch and pressed "play". I didn't really pay attention to the little girl with blue hair on the screen, but thought of the coming week. Sookie was reading Sophie-Anne's people. I would come with her again of course; I knew Sophie-Ann would try something to get her away from me and with the new information about Andre, I was even more worried. I needed to get rid of them.

I was confident that the authorities wouldn't do anything; they hated the Queen and her child as much as everybody else. I just needed to find a way that wouldn't get my lover into danger. When the fights started I wouldn't be able to protect her like I wanted. I would be occupied with slaying every vampire loyal to the Queen. Pam would enjoy the fights more than me, and Timmie could be serving as Sookie's personal bodyguard. But the Queen had a few old vampires on her side, not to mention her child that could easily take Timmie out.

No, I needed to be smart. I needed more people and I knew exactly who I could call for help.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard the car enter in the driveway upstairs. The women in my life were home. I smiled slightly at the thought. They all seemed so relaxed and happy, even Pam.

They came through the door and stopped when they saw me. I could feel their eyen in the back of my head as I concentrated on the screen again.

"Why aren't you in Fangtasia?" Pam suddenly said, irritated. "It was boring." I said, knowing she would be annoyed but didn't care. I was her Maker! I could do whatever I wanted. One night away from the vermin's didn't make any difference. I ignored their talk before I was left alone with my lover. I closed the bond, not wanting to know what she was feeling towards me. It probably was the same feelings like yesterday. Instead I just continued to watch the movie that was coming to an end.

I could hear her heart beat faster and smell the oils on her skin mixed with her own delicious scent. They had been in Pam's spa, apparently. I guess I needed to thank my child when I saw her again. My fangs were itching, longing to sink into her skin and taste her blood.

She walked into the kitchen before she returned with a glass of water and sat down beside me in the couch. She didn't look away from the screen, and didn't come too close. I took the initiative and placed an arm around her shoulder and dragged her gently towards me. She resisted slightly, but relaxed into me eventually. I took a deep breath, smelling her delicious scent again, now mixed with arousal. My eyes rolled back in my head and I forced myself not to smell her anymore. I was certain I would lose control. I hadn't had a worse case of blue balls in my entire existence. God, I wanted her. But I resisted. I knew she wanted it as well, and I knew it wasn't the blood.

The movie came to an end and we still didn't move. Sookie was nestled into my side with her face leaning on my shoulder. I could have gladly stayed in this position forever. She turned her head slightly and I surprised me when I felt her lip against my neck. I opened the bond slightly so I could get an idea of what she was thinking. She felt nervous, lust, hesitant, irritated, curiosity and something more I didn't know what to make of.

I sat quietly enjoying the attention, afraid that I would frighten her away if I moved. My fangs slid down when she placed a little kiss again on my neck. I slowly turned my head down to look at her. She stared at me with wide teary eyes. I frowned confused. Why was she leaking?

I was lost in the beauty of her eyes and stroked her shoulder with the hand I had around her shoulder. I didn't say anything, only looking for answers in her face. When she leaned closer and touched her lips softly against mine I almost came in my pants. She was killing me without knowing it. She was in great danger without knowing it. I was doing everything in my power not to make any advance towards her. I needed her to do what she wished, to take the lead.

She pulled away slightly and I reached my hand to dry her tears that had escaped from her eyes. I hadn't done anything to make her believe this was expected of her, so if she did it without wanting to she was delusional. I still felt the same feelings from her, slightly more uncertainty and hesitantly.

I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what. Instead I leaned closer and barley brushed my lips against hers in return. She didn't pull away, but didn't lean closer. I pulled back and looked at her, studied her. She looked so sad and defeated.

"What can I do to get you to smile?" I whispered and stroked her hair. She closed her eyes, making more tears run down her cheeks. I used my thumb to brush them away and tasted them. They tasted like salty rain, reminding me of my human life, when I always bathed in the salty cold oceans. But Sookie's tears were warm. She opened her eyes to look at me again. I thought I saw a hint of a smile, but Timmie chose that moment to appear.

I cursed her silently when my bonded averted her eyes and pulled away from me. Timmie looked at me apologizing and silently walked to her room and shut the door. No matter, the moment was ruined.

She stood from the couch and took her glass of water into the kitchen along with my empty bottle of blood before she retreated into her own room. I sat put in the couch and listened to the sound of her undress and lying down in her bed.

She felt shame, embarrassment, angry, lust and excited all at once. Instead of joining her like I wanted, I gave her time to calm down. When I felt her sleep, two hours after the sun had risen I went into her room and looked at her. She was like an angel in her sleep. I dried off the bleeds from my eyes and ears before I stripped and joined her under the covers.

She immediately welcomed me and snuggled into me in her sleep. I kissed her softly on her nose before I let myself die.


	25. Chapter 25

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Sookie POV**

I was very self-conscious of where I was sitting, nestled in Eric's side. Through the film I managed to relax, and when the movie ended I was leaning all my weight into him, and my head in the crook of his neck.

I was lost in my thoughts when the screen roll started and I didn't move. I was thinking about everything I had learned about him, me… us in the last few days. According to Pam, he didn't bother with the fangbangers anymore. He was drinking bottled blood. He was acting grumpy. Something both Pam and Timmie had told me was very dangerous for him. He hadn't tried to force me into talking anymore, something I was very grateful about.

I had played Pam's words over and over in my head and wondered if it was actually true. _"Eric loved Godric, he loves me, and he loves you." "You are totally overestimating the bond."_

Eric and I hadn't spoken much. But his actions and the little he talked made me very uncertain. Every night he asked to take me somewhere. He wanted me to contact Sam and Jason. He never tried to do something I didn't want to. _"The bond can't force you to do anything, Sookie." "If anyone should be sorry, it's me Sookie. I never thought I would hurt you this bad by taking you home and protecting you." _I now really did believe he just wanted to protect me. He obviously didn't know any better, even if that didn't work as an excuse. But I understood him. I knew that he was sorry. He had told and showed me so in many occasions. He had said it many times, tried to give my house back, told me I could stay with the Queen if I wanted, practically told me to go out every night, and he had tried to show me his gentle side.

I couldn't help but wonder if it was all a part of his plan though. But I knew instinctively that it wasn't. He wasn't Bill. He had always been straight forward and never lied. He had tricked me through not bothering to tell me things or simply hiding the truth that was just as bad. But never had he lied. Every time he had held something from me, he knew he always came out as the villain (in complete opposite to Bill who tried to be a false hero).

Timmie's voice echoed in my mind. _"He has changed Sookie" "His eyes are mirroring yours" "I know you are not completely against staying here either."_

I had been in his captive for one month now. I had developed unwanted feelings towards him. I hated him. I loved him. I didn't know if it was me or the blood. Could it be both? I had felt an attraction before, even when I was together with Bill. But Bill had clouded my mind with hate until I realized the dark and vicious vampire had a softer side. Seeing him with Godric on the rooftop hade shattered my heart. Godric asking me to take care of him, something I had promised to try to do. It was a promise I had broken severely.

If it wasn't for the blood, would I still feel the attraction? Would I still have the new and stronger feelings I had for him? I didn't know, and I would never know and that frightened me. What would happen if I gave in?

Slowly I turned my head and connected my lips with the skin on his neck. I smelled his masculine scent and felt heat run through my body. I was nervous for what he would do and slightly irritated for putting myself in this situation.

Eric sat completely still but I heard his fangs click down. I felt braver and placed another little kiss on his neck again. I felt tears gathering in my eyes. I didn't know what to do or believe. It felt so right, I wanted more. I wanted to feel him. I was scared. He bent his head, forcing me away from his neck so I had to look at him.

I met his eyes and saw his frown, even though his arm held me tight and his hand stroked my shoulder gently. I decided to just do it, give it a try and see what came out of it. I leaned closer and softly touched my lips against his. Electricity flared between us and I held in a gasp as my body started to burn. Eric didn't do anything and I slightly pulled back against my own will. I hadn't noticed that I had been crying before he reached his hand up to brush the tears away. I wanted to kiss him again, but hesitated, uncertain that if it was wise to or not. I didn't get to choose when he leaned closer and brushed his lips against mine.

I didn't pull away, but didn't lean closer either. I was so lost. I needed my Gran, someone to tell me what do to, and what to believe. I couldn't, and didn't want to resist anymore. I wanted to give in. He pulled back and I stared into his eyes, searching for truth or guidance.

"What can I do to get you to smile?" He whispered and broke the silence. He stroked my hair gently and I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to look at him anymore. It was too painful. His hands brushed away my tears again. He could be so cruel, a monster. But to me he was gentle and kind. I opened my eyes again to stare at him, when I saw movements from the door.

Timmie was standing there and I was suddenly self-conscious again. I looked down and pulled myself away from Eric's hold. I felt embarrassed when she didn't say anything and just walked quickly away and closed her bedroom door behind her. I wanted to slide into Eric's arms again but instead, I stood from the couch and brought my glass of water and his bottle of blood into the kitchen to clean up.

I didn't look at him when I returned and walked straight into my room, undressed and lay down in the bed. I felt ashamed and angry of myself. I shouldn't have done it. What if it actually was only the blood? Still, I could help enjoying the heated state my body was in, how fast my heart was beating and how excited I was. His skin tasted exactly what he smelled, and his lips were as soft as his hands.

It took me forever to fall asleep, but eventually the darkness took me.

…

I woke up late again lying on top of Eric, using him as my mattress. His arms were around my back and I relaxed my head against his chest again, replying the" incidents" that happened yesterday.

I still didn't know what to believe, but I smiled, thinking of how he had smelled, tasted and touched. I blushed and giggled slightly when I thought about how his hands could feel on my girls, and Pam's jealous and cold, but still amused look she would give me if he would be allowed to touch them and not her.

"What's so funny?" The naked chest beneath me vibrated and I gasped at the sound of Eric's voice. I had been certain he was still dead. "Nothing" I said and blushed even more as I started to roll of him.

He tightened his grip around me, denying me leave from the top his body." No, stay still a little."

"Why?" I asked confused.

"I like it." He said simply, eyes still closed. I complied and rested my head on his chest again. I pictured his heartbeats in my mind when they should have beaten rhythmically. But there was of course only silence. I wondered if I should say something about yesterday at all, but didn't know what to say. Instead I decided on a completely different topic.

"Pam is taking Timmie and me shopping tonight." I said. I didn't really know why I told him, but I was tiring of the awkward silence and the sexual tension. "She said I needed nice clothes to impress the Queen."

"You are perfect the way you are. I think Pam is making the excuse to go shopping." Eric said and smiled slightly. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling spread through me, ignoring the last part about Pam.

"What are you doing tonight?" I asked, trying not to blush from his compliment.

"Sheriff business…" He said, not explaining more.

"Is it something serious?" I asked, lifting my head from his chest, a little concerned though I knew I shouldn't be.

He opened his eyes, the blue piercing gaze penetrating mine. "I have some plans, but I don't know what will happen yet. But don't worry, I promise nothing bad will happen to you."

I didn't feel reassured and dragged myself out of his grasp. "I need to shower and get ready." I mumbled and disappeared into the bathroom. What was he planning? No, I decided not to think about it. Maybe I could ask Pam, but I didn't bother using my precious alone time dwelling about it.

I was just about to enter the living room when I heard Eric shouting to Timmie. I opened the door quickly and saw her, standing in front of the tall Viking only wearing a towel. The only thing wrong was that his head was completely white, like it was covered in powder or flour.

"Was it you, or Pam?" Eric hissed at her. Timmie however, didn't flinch. "I swear it wasn't me!" she defended herself. I covered my mouth with my hand to stop from giggling, the moment Pam entered through the door.

"Master, I didn't know you had decided for a new look. I liked the previous better." She drawled and smiled amused.

"Pamela." Eric growled.

"Why are you looking at me like that, I didn't do it." She said and placed a hand on her hip. "Ask the tiger."

I knew then that it was this Timmie had meant when she mentioned the "revenge on Eric" thingy. Eric looked between them both, but before he could find the guilty one Pam interrupted. "Oh, Sookie, you are ready. Come on then!" She said to me and I hurried after her when she turned in the door. With Timmie right behind me, we hurried upstairs and into the car.

"What was that?" I asked curious.

"_Someone _filled Eric blow-dryer with flour." Timmie said, excited end eyed Pam from the backseat. I looked at Pam, amused. "I didn't do it." She said and started up the car.

I looked back to Timmie whom only shook her head and raised both of her hands like she hadn't got a clue. "It wasn't me."

I rolled my eyes, knowing very well it was one of them. It was kind of funny though. Eric would really get annoyed over the slightest little things, and that little innocent prank. I could see why Pam and Timmie thought it was so much fun.

"So, what clothes do we need to buy?" I asked Pam, holding on for dear life as she raced through the streets.

"You need formal work clothes, a few gowns in case of special events; the Queen likes to throw a ball now and then just to annoy everyone ,sexy underwear, shoes and some new make-up." Pam said and cursed before she raced past the car in front of her that was driving to slow for her liking, almost crashing with a truck that was headed our way before she turned the wheel sharply and missed it with a few inches.

My heart was beating out of my chest, I was so afraid. Why I hadn't thought about driving myself I didn't know. I would definitely do it from here and now. "I don't need _sexy _underwear, Pam." I said, trying to calm myself down.

"Yes you do." She grinned.

"You just want to look at her boobs again." Timmie accused her, amused.

"Now why would you think that?" She said and slid her fangs down a little.

"No one is going to see it anyway, so why do I need it?" I asked, trying a more logic way to approach the subject.

"Maybe not, but you may need it to fit under the certain gowns, and besides… _You_ will feel sexier and look more confident even if no one knows about it." She explained and came to a stop in front of a small mall.

I couldn't argue about that, I always felt better when my underwear matched even though no one saw it. We stepped out of the car and headed into the small mall. It didn't look like much on the outside, but in the inside everything looked expensive. It was that kind of a mall I normally wouldn't afford to even look at!

I recognized some on the brands, but most of them I had never heard of. We walked pass Hermes, Versace, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Christian Dior, Fendi, Burberry, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci… I was so busy looking around I walked right into Pam that had stopped before me.

"If you are not in the mood for taking a step on the wild side, please refrain from touch me." She said bored, but her eyes glittered hopeful. "Let's start here, and work our way back to the car." She dragged me into the first store.

"Sit." She pointed on the round couch in the dressing room and she was gone.

"I bet Pam is in heaven right now." Timmie smiled at me and sat down beside me. "She used to do this with me when I was a kid."

"Yeah?" I asked curious. Timmie was actually worse than me when it came down to clothes. I had always shopped in Wall-Mart because I was saving money. Timmie just went shopping when she absolutely had to. When she started living with me, she had just inherited my clothes when I wore them out. Timmie was much smaller and skinnier than me, so she almost drowned in them. It was too bad, because she really did have a perfect body.

"Yeah, but she gave up when I never used them, that was the one I liked. The one I didn't like I ate." She giggled. "When Eric was ordering me to dress nice for formalities I had to of course, but I didn't like it. The fabric on my skin feels like a personal prison."

"Hm. Did you have to go to many formals?" I asked her. Her green eyes were sparkling when she thought back.

"No, just a few. Usually I managed to persuade him that I would be better off home. But he insisted that I should come, so he could keep an eye on me so I wouldn't change." She smiled at the memory.

Timmie had told me a few funny stories about her time with Eric and Pam as a kid. It was always weird to picture Eric and Pam raising her. Especially Pam.

"Here, try this." Pam appeared with a bunch of clothes gathered in her arms. I sighed, took the clothes and awkwardly made my way behind the curtain so they wouldn't see me.

It was skirts and dress jackets mostly and a few dress pants. It differenced in several colors, but we all agreed on that the black and gray looked best. Especially when Pam brought shoes.

"Pam, I am going to fall and break my neck in these things!" I said loudly from inside of the changing room.

"You just need some practice, and besides, you are not going to walk around much. And if you _do _break your neck, my Maker will heal you." She drawled from the outside.

I rolled my eyes and drew the curtains away before I awkwardly made my way out in the room. "Seriously, find something closer to the ground." I snapped. "Fine." She snarled and disappeared again.

A few shops later I had tried on countless of dresses, skirts, pants and shoes. I had found five gowns I absolutely adored (though, I didn't dare look at the price tag!).

One was in deep red, low cut and made my boobs look even huger (of course, Pam couldn't help but comment.). I found a sky blue one that reached to the floor, with diamonds around on the upper part, making it look like stars, or snowflakes. Two in black that both hugged all the right places making me look skinny, one floor-length and one shorter. The floor-length was a halter neck with a deep neck opening. The last one was in gold with not so much details, but a _very_ low back.

Timmie actually looked excited for me (Pam hungry) and I felt fantastic. I couldn't help wanting to use them all right away. Pam also found shoes that matched which I actually managed to walk in without looking like a penguin.

Now I was trying on the underwear, and I wished I should have listened to Timmie about the training. My bones were still peeking out here and there, but I still had the lump on my stomach, love handles and didn't feel as fantastic as I did only minutes ago.

"You don't even really know what you can be missing." Pam said when she handed me a new pair in white. "Maybe I am really good at touching your boobs!"

I rolled my eyes and pulled the curtains close so I could change in peace. "You'll never know until you let me." She said a little louder.

"I think I can live with it." I said and smiled a little. Pam was insufferable in an amusing way.

"I know some of you humans could have breast cancer, what if you did and I found cancer in one of your boobs? I could potentially save your life!" She continued.

"Oh my God, stop it. I can't possibly have it with how much blood your Maker has shoved down my throat, and if I did it would have healed by now. And for your information Pam, breast cancer is kind of serious and not funny to joke about." I said and put on the bra.

"Who's joking?" She drawled. I pulled away the curtain and showed them the underwear. I hadn't felt comfortable with it in the beginning, but reminded myself that it was almost like wearing a bikini and didn't bother anymore.

Pam's fangs had been down through the whole shopping spray, and now was no exception. "You look like a sexy virgin Mary." She smirked. "I know someone who would go caveman if he saw you in that."

I glared slightly at her, knowing very well who she probably were talking about. "Is there more I should try, or am I done?" I asked instead.

"Oh please, please be done!" Timmie whined from the floor. She didn't have the same enthusiasm as Pam had for shopping apparently. Pam had forced her to try on some gowns though, in case she needed them. In her deep Oxblood colored gown and the deep green that matched her eyes perfectly, I thought she looked like a goddess.

"Just a little more, here." Pam said and shoved a new pile into my hands. It was all kind of sexy things I've would have never bought. "Pam, when am I even going to use this? What the hell is it anyway?" I said and held _something _in front of me to try and figure it out.

"Just put it on." She directed. Instead of trying it on, I dressed in my normal clothes. I had tried enough and had enough of new underwear I decided.

"You are no fun." Pam pouted when I reviled my dressed self.

"Finally!" Timmie exclaimed and got up from the floor. "Can we just please go home now?" She asked and looked hopefully on Pam.

"Fine, I have them send our clothes back to the house." She snapped and was gone.

"I can't wait to get out and hunt. I am going to find the most meaty -"

"Timmie!" I interrupted her before she could say anything more. "I don't want to know."

She smiled. "Sorry."

We got back in the car, Pam driving. I had asked to drive, but she only gave me the death stare and that was it. "What time is it?" I asked, looking out of the window. I wondered if Eric would be home already when we got back.

"Three hours until sunrise." Pam said and stepped on the breaks to avoid the car in front of her before she moved her feet to the gas pedal and gave it the same treatment. Safely in front of the house I thank God I was still alive before we made it inside. For the first time since the bond I checked Eric's side. I was actually disappointed to find him far away, probably at Fangtasia. The little information I could get out of his emotions was that he was tormented by them.

I wondered if he kept track of my side of the bond, and I decided to work up some strong shields around it. I didn't want him to have full access to my private emotions anymore.

We entered the downstairs apartment. It wasn't until now that I realized how tired I was. I headed into my room. I wanted to take a bath, and went to my dresser to pick out a new pajama I could wear after the bath. I froze when I stared at my clothes. "How is this possible?" I mumbled to myself.

Pam appeared beside me making me jump. "It is so much you don't know about the supernatural world." Was the only thing she said before she disappeared again. In the closed were all the brand new clothes I had just bought, neatly organized.

I gaped at it for a while before I snapped out of it and found the right pajama and closed myself in the bathroom. The bathtub was large and I had to force myself not to think about what it would be like to share it with _someone. _


	26. Chapter 26

**A special thanks to all of those who bothered to reviewed on the last chapter! This fast update is for you!****  
****Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts.**

* * *

**Eric POV**

I was fuming when I finally got to Fangtasia. If Timmie and Pam thought I would let them get away with their little pranks they were severely wrong. Flour in my blow dryer was an old trick, but still annoying when I was forced to take another shower. I usually didn't use the blow drying but it slowed my leave for Fangtasia, something which I didn't mind.

I was sitting on my throne, paying attention to the bonds I had with Timmie, Pam and my lover. Timmie was bored to death, no surprise there, Pam was having fun and was horny and my lover was switching between having fun and feeling embarrassed. I was just jealous. _I_ wanted to be the cause of my lover's happiness and relaxation. _I_ wanted to see her almost naked like my child probably did right now.

I knew Pam would never touch her or hurt her, and Sookie would never let her get close so that thought gave me some reassurance. But still, I wanted to be with my bonded. Instead I was entertaining the filth that was worshipping me like dogs. I just wanted to go back home and wait for my lover, but I needed to be here so we wouldn't lose customers.

Finally when we closed I didn't waste time getting home. I knew they were back already and found Pam in the living room.

"Pam." I nodded. "Everything went well I presume."

"Of course." She said and studied me.

"When we leave for the Queen next week I want you to stay here and take care of Fangtasia with Timmie." I said, not leaving any room for discussion.

"How long are you going to let the Queen use you like a puppy?" She drawled and checked her nails.

I glared at her. "I will try to figure out what her plans are next week when I get there. She is either going to try to convince Sookie that she should stay again and if it doesn't work she will probably try to get rid of me."

"And how are you going to kill her?" She raised her eyebrows, knowing me all too well.

"I have an idea." I said smirking.

"You know that if you kill her you must take the throne right?" She drawled.

I rolled my eyes. Seriously, who was the Maker here? "I am very much aware Pamela, and I am not going to do it myself. I have someone who will gladly do it for me."

"Care to enlighten me of whom you have in mind?" She said, slightly curious.

I only smirked again and used my vampire speed into my lover's room, feeling Pam's annoyance through our Maker/child bond. Sookie was lying in bed, almost asleep. I undressed quickly and eased into the bed beside her. Her arousing scent was almost killing me, especially when I smelled her slight arousal too.

I spooned her from behind and pulled her into my body, careful not to make it too obvious that I was hard for her. I wanted her to turn around and kiss me again like she did yesterday, but I didn't push her. I wondered why she had felt like she did, and if she was ever going to grant me the honor of tasting her lips again. I hoped she would, sooner rather than later.

Her breath was slow and shallow. Her heart was beating faster as her body transferred heat from her to me. I hugged her tighter, telling myself that I could never let her go. She was my light, my new Godric. Even though I hated her for making me weak, I cherished her deeply. I didn't know what I would do if she decided to leave me if I gave her a way out.

I placed a light kiss on her neck and felt her shiver. Why she was denying what we both wanted I didn't know. But at the same time, it wouldn't have felt right if we did it. There was no tension between us like there had been (beside the sexual), but a huge gap with unspoken words. I wanted her to talk. I wanted to talk to her but didn't know where to start.

I could feel my lover was tired and decided not to question her about her night. Instead I went into downtime and waited for the sun to pull me under.

…

I woke feeling dread overpower my body. I snapped my eyes open, rose from the empty bed beside me, and hurried to locate my lover who was pulsing with the emotion. I found her in the kitchen with Timmie and relaxed slightly, before becoming amused.

They both stared at me, Timmie with her calm green eyes and my lover with pleading and shock. Timmie was wearing black, which meant she was ready for a work out. "What?" She said.

I smirked, looking from her and back to my lover. She surprised me when she spoke. "Please, tell her that this isn't a good day for a work out." She pleaded. She asked me so casually like we were friends and nothing bad had happened between us.

I turned back to Timmie who was glaring at her. "It is a perfect day for work out in the woods." I said, and saw my lover frown. It was then I noticed her end of the bond wasn't completely opened like it had been since we bonded. I looked at her curious, wondering why she was blocking it.

Pam came walking though the kitchen. "Master, are you skipping Fangtasia today?" She said calm but I felt her annoyance and irritation. I was starting to get a little sick of her attitude.

"I am not, _child." _I could play with Timmie and still go to Fangtasia later. Some blood and ripped clothes would only make the fangbangers more excited. "But it has been a long time since we had some fun, all of us."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "And here I was planning to take a slow night, trying to get into your bonded's minimal panties." She said teasingly.

"Hey!" Sookie said and shot daggers at Pam who only smirked back.

I knew my child was joking (halfheartedly) but she was excited with the thought of play. Still, I snapped down my fangs possessively. "Say that one more time, and I will command you to never walk in high heels again." I teased back, though she knew I was serious if she actually tried.

She narrowed her eyes, daring me to try. From the corner of my eye I saw Sookie trying to hold back a little smile.

"Perfect, let's go already!" Timmie said loudly, already excited. It was how we used to train her before. In the woods, I and Pam would train her through fighting. We never hurt each other too badly but we had to mean it when we fought. Of course, I knew I needed to hold back tonight with my lover watching.

I felt slightly excited myself, as we all walked upstairs and to the car. I drove, knowing my child would one day give my lover a heart attack with her driving skills.

I parked so the car was hidden in the tree line and led the way into the woods we had used so many times before. It was dark, making it hard for my bonded to see where she was going, so I let Pam and Timmie walk past me. "Want some help?" I asked my lover, smirking as she halfway stumbled over a branch.

She looked up at me with that lovely reddish color spreading in her cheeks. "No, I'm fine." She said and I raised my eyebrows before I turned around and walked after Timmie and Pam.

**Sookie POV**

I wanted to badly to say "yes" when Eric offered me some help though the dark forest but I couldn't be near him. Only thinking about him made my knees week and breathing quicken, and I didn't want to embarrass myself anymore. It was bad enough that I had to force myself not to attack him every time we lay in bed together. The worst part was that he could feel and smell it. But now, Pam and probably Timmie could smell me if it happened and that was _not_ something I wanted. No, I would rather walk slowly and try not to fall on my face or get stuck in some branches.

I wondered what the hell they were planning on doing, but I guessed it was some kind of training, fighting stuff. As long as Timmie wouldn't be hurt and I didn't need to participate I was happy.

We finally came to a large clearing where I actually could see something, with the moon illuminating everything around us. Eric and Pam looked so pale, like they really, _really_ were dead. I figured I looked almost the same as them, since I hadn't seen the sun in over a month, even longer if you counted the winter sun in England that didn't help anything with the tan.

"So, who is going to get the honor of falling before the tiger first?" Timmie said happily and started to undress. I was so used to her nakedness now that I didn't even feel embarrassed for not averting my eyes.

"You are going down, little tiger." Pam snarled, but smiled when she clicked down her fangs. She had changed into a pair of black pants and a top, almost reminding me of a blond Lara Croft with the high ponytail but without the guns.

"You are the one going down Pammy." Timmie smiled, and started to shift. This time I did look away… I was slightly nervous, didn't know if I really liked what was going to happen. Timmie looked happier than I had even seen her in a long time, so that calmed me slightly. But still, I didn't want to see her get hurt.

I felt Eric's presence beside me and looked at him. He was already staring at me with a troubled expression. "I can walk you back if you don't want to be here but I can assure you that this is only fun for us, even if you find it a little brutal."

I nodded, hearing all of Timmie's pep talks about how their punishments replaying in my head. I needed to force my human morals in the back of my head and accept this. This was after all, fun…

The white large tiger and Pam circled around each other. I could hear the deep, threatening rumbling erupting from Timmie making me shiver and remember all too well the last time I had seen her fight. The second I was about to shoot Landon, then Quinn attacking and biting me before he was suddenly gone. Now I knew it was Eric that had saved me… Then the freezing snow, making my fingers itch and bleed as I searched for the gun I had dropped and shot Landon for real.

I shivered again and placed my arms around me, keeping warm from the cold thoughts that seemed to affect my body. I felt Eric eyes on me again before his jacket suddenly was around my shoulders. I looked at him and tried to smile. "Thanks." I said and concentrated on Pam and Timmie again.

Pam was in full combat pose and looked scary as hell. I was glad I wasn't on her list of enemies. Not that I wasn't on her good side, but I knew she didn't hate me as much as she said she did. It was Timmie that eventually lunged forward, starting their fight.

Pam was fast in her movements and I had a hard time keeping track of where she was. Timmie however seemed to follow her easily and they were both pretty equal.

"Timmie is a fearless fighter." Eric commented. "She is one of the strongest wereanimals and shifters in the world when she is in her tiger form."

I nodded, trying to keep my eyes on them, flinching and biting my inner lip when I saw red in Timmie's white fur or on Pam's body. There were hisses, snarls and growls making me want to run in the other direction to save myself.

"Her limit is vampires over two hundred years. They are not too strong, but too fast in their movements for her to see them." Eric said and was suddenly standing on my other side.

Just then, Timmie got her jaw around Pam's leg and bit down. Pam roared and threw her off of her, but I could see she was moving slower.

"Timmie's only chance against an older vampire is to bite and drink their blood. She will become stronger and heal the possible wounds she may have, while the vampire only gets weaker and easier to kill." Eric continued to explain.

I didn't know if I really liked this at all. I couldn't see the fun in fighting at all. But I wasn't a vampire or a tiger, and I schooled myself. It is in their nature and they are probably having a blast, as Timmie would say it.

Pam got the upper hand again, before Timmie took it back. On and on, they continued with the biting, tearing, snarling and throwing each other around. I was beginning to get bored, not thinking at all how wrong it was, but rather if they would finish already.

Eric looked down at me and leered. I had completely forgotten to keep my shields in place. It was so relaxing to not bother with them, now that I couldn't hear any of them. I placed the shields firmly around my end before I looked back at Eric. "You want to give it a try?" He asked, wiggling his eyes. "I promise to go easy on you."

I narrowed my eyes slightly. It was a long time since I had used my light, and it wasn't like I knew how to do it. The last time was when I had been in Fairy where I had shot Queen Mab and destroyed their precious glowing fruit tree and of course against Quinn when he tried to keep me from helping Timmie with Landon. I could give it a try. I had managed to direct my light and aim it, but I wouldn't hit Eric if he didn't stand still, or was close enough. I shrugged, and nodded, taking his challenge anyway.

"Pam." Eric said sharply. Pam who currently was holding Timmie against a tree with her jaw around her arm dropped her instantly. "Eric, I just had her!" She whined. She looked awful, bloody and muddy with branches in her wild hair.

"Just take a break." Eric directed and Pam obeyed very displeased. Eric got eye connection with the tiger and she too sat down submissively. I dropped Eric's jacket on the ground and walked out to stand in the middle of the clearing.

"Fry him good, Cupcake." I heard Pam say from the sideline. I smiled a little before I started to concentrate about my light. It was so weird; I had completely forgotten the feeling. The warm spread through my body and I closed my eyes. I thought about Bill's cheating and betrayal, Quinn's manhandling and Eric's punishment of Timmie. My fingers started to tingle and I opened my eyes to see them shoot sparks.

I looked up in the direction of where Eric stood and found his eyes. They were darker, filled with desire and excitement. "Ready, Viking?" I asked, half teasing. I didn't know where my playful mood came from, or why I talked to him at all. It wasn't like we _didn't _talk because we were both stubborn, but because none of us wanted to go there. But today we had actually had something that reminded of a conversation without the sexual tension or the dark cloud looming over us, reminding us about what we really _should _talk about.

I guessed my playful mood had rubbed off from Pam and Timmie, and Eric talking so casually about Timmie made everything more friendly and relaxed.

"I am ready when you are, lover." Eric said and clicked down his fangs, bending in his knees.

His body was illuminated by the moon, making him look scary as hell, and sexy as ever. I longed to trace his skin, his muscles that showed and flexed in his arms. I wanted to drag my fingers through his perfectly soft looking hair, and I wanted desperately to feel him against me. All that was crushed immediately and I sent a little bolt of light towards him.

It hit him in his chest, but didn't do any more harm than to knock him two steps backwards. "Don't call me that!" I said angrily.

Eric looked stunned at me for a microsecond before a smile plastered over his face. It wasn't a happy smile, more "I have located my pray and are going to eat it"-dark and scary smile. I gulped slightly, feeling a little nervous. I knew he would never hurt me (or I at least hoped so) but he did frighten me.

I sent another ball of light that hit him again, but this time he didn't even flinch. Suddenly he was gone before my sight. I looked around panicked, if I had done something before I jumped.

"You have to mean it, lover." His raspy voice was whispering in my left ear and I smelled his scent and felt his hard chest slightly against my back before he was gone again. I spun around and found him a few feet away.

Determinate, I tried to think of him and his horrible actions. I thought of the first time I realized he had found me, when I opened the door and when I surrendered. The feelings hurt, and I tried to channel the light again to throw at him.

I lifted my hands to look at them. It wasn't right. They didn't spark as much as they had done earlier, against Quinn, Maryann, Russell or when I used it in Fairy.

I dropped them again and though of something else, something I knew made me angry. _Bill. _I thought of how he had tricked me, made me fall in love with him, took my virginity under false pretenses, were going to hand me over to his Queen, clouded my mind making Eric the villain all the time, cheating on me… But most of all, I thought of the lame excuses he used over and over.

I started to heat up and looked satisfied on my hands again who was glowing. I slimed slightly, thinking that Bill actually was the one helping me provoke my own power. It was kind of sad as well, but the sadness and hurt was gone when I had moved on, but the anger was still lingering.

Eric was still standing a few feet away and looked full of expectation. Without hesitation I shot out my hand and the light hit him again in his chest. This time, he staggered several steps backwards before he managed to stop.

I smiled, but wasn't completely satisfied. I had done much better before, but it had always been in the heat of a fight or something that probably made me feel stronger. I knew Eric could avoid it if he wanted to, but obviously he was too smug to think that I could hurt him. I was certain I could prove him wrong.

"Are you just going to stand there?" I questioned him a little irritated. If he could just try to intimidate me (it would probably work) I could maybe shot him a little stronger.

"Do you want me to attack you, lover?" He teased. Oh, he was really getting me angry now. It wasn't that I didn't like the nick name, but it was all wrong when we didn't even have sex!

I narrowed my eyes again and prepared myself to shoot him before he was gone. I opened my mind, followed his void and without thinking shot in the direction of his brain. I didn't hit him, but I was close enough to surprise him.

"New rules! Only move in human speed so I have a chance." I suggested.

"I am glad you can recognize a greater and much better opponent, lover." Eric said and smiled, not that dark smile, but that stupid irritating sexy smirk. I rolled my eyes and concentrated about Bill again. The way he said my name, how he had pleaded with me when we were with the Queen. That he had dared to say that we could be a real couple if I only accepted to live and be a slave in the Queen's mansion.

I turned left just in time to see Eric run towards me, human speed, and shot him. I sent him back flying and wanted to do a little happy dance for myself. I was beginning to get a hang on it.

"Try not to kill him, if you don't mind." Pam said from the sideline. "I can't stand the thought of running Fangtasia and entertaining the fangbangers on my own." She sounded bored, but when I looked at her, she looked amused at her Maker.

Eric was quickly back on his feet and started towards me again in a fast pace. His trained reflexes avoided two of my next light balls. He was then suddenly in my face before I could fire the third, and planted a kiss in my forehead before he was gone again.

I growled slightly for myself, angry, horny and amused at the same time. I located his void again and turned to face him. Timmie was lying down behind him and I started to make out a plan. I walked slowly towards him, the light in my hand dimmed slightly as I watched him. He looked tense, ready to fight or bounce away if I suddenly was going to shoot him, but when I just walked closer I could see he was confused.

I stared at Timmie. _"Take him."_ I thought, looking into her eyes. I didn't know if it would work or not, but Eric seemed able to communicate with her that way, so why not me? To both Pam and Eric's surprise, Timmie growled and lunched for her Master.

She didn't bite him, but her heavy weight and strength made him loose his balance and hit the ground. I hurried over and placed a hand on his neck and tried to make it glow like it did, to be more threatening.

I looked down at the stunned creature on the ground, thankful for Pam and Timmie's presence or else I would have had him right then and there. "Surrender?" I asked innocently.

Eric snapped his fangs back. Before I could blink, he had shoved Timmie away and I was lying on the ground underneath him. I stared shocked into his eyes, a little nausea coiling in my stomach of the fast movements.

"You cheat." He stated.

"I don't have anything to do with it." I lied.

**Eric POV**

I could tell that she was lying, and almost told her so, but I didn't want to remind her of our forced bond so I bit it back. The light she had shot at me was warm and comforting in the beginning, almost making me want more. She was so damn hot when she stood there, just like a Valkyrie with the glowing skin.

Teasing her was fun, something I had missed greatly. I knew the word "lover" provoked her, and it was a reason that I tried not to use it anymore (besides now).

"Master, if I can say so, your little fairy kicked you out of your socks." Pam said from somewhere behind where I was lying on top of her. I turned my head, frowning at her for not getting the meaning behind her words.

I reveled in the feeling of how content, happy and full I felt when I was near my bonded like this, before I stood up, dragging her with me and placed her on her feet. "I guess we can continue this later." I said, and looked to the sky. "I need to go to Fangtasia."

Sookie nodded and I quickly kissed her forehead again before I took to the sky. This night had definitely been interesting so far. I was determinate to continue with the trainings, so my little fairy could develop her powers more.

It didn't take me long to get to Fangtasia, and as I predicted, the fangbanger's got even more annoying when I had spots of blood and dirt on me, like I had just been out hunting. Something that wasn't all completely wrong. The vampire's that was around studied me closely, smelling the sweet smell that my lover and her light had left on me. I basked in the attention for once, not letting it ruin my good mood. All I was thinking about was to get home again so I could be with Sookie.

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**It was fun writing this chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Please leave a review and make my muse happy :-)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thanks' to my beta Lady Doughnuts and to all of those who reviews! I hope you like this chapter.**

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**Sookie POV**

Eric disappeared up it the air, but not before he placed another kiss on my forehead, causing my forehead to tingle. I tried to keep the little smile away.

"You really should practice that light thing of yours." Pam commented.

I turned to her. "I think so too." I agreed. It could be useful in self-defense, something I really should learn. And of course, I wanted more control over my own power.

We started getting back to the car, Timmie still in her tiger form. I studied her, admiring the way she seemed to glide past the branches. She was really beautiful if you ignored the few bloody spots on her fur. "So, what do we do now?" I asked Pam, adrenaline and electricity seemed to pump through my body from the "fight" with Eric.

"How about a shower and then I can show you my bedroom and all of the fantastic things you could do inside it?" She suggested.

"Very funny Pam," I said dryly.

We arrived home in one piece, not thanks to Pam. Through all of the security doors we walked down in the light tight apartment. A hot bath sounded awesome and I hurried away with only that on my mind.

Soaking in the hot water was like being in heaven. I managed to relax and all of the tension eased away. When I was done I dressed in one of the new PJ's Pam had bought me. I knew it was kind of risky if Eric came back before I could sleep. The chances of me keeping my hands of him were slim. I had almost surrendered to the blood bond, but still tried to hold on to sanity.

I snuggled deep under the covers and fell into the state between sleeping and being awake. I snapped my eyes opened when I realized there was someone in my bathroom. I checked with my mind and found a void, wondering why Eric or Pam was in there. Pam never came in here, and Eric usually used his own bathroom and only slept in my bed.

Curiosity took over and I slid out of the bed and knocked on the door. The door was ripped open and I was met with a dripping wet Viking looking furious. I gaped at his naked chest before my eyes slowly trailed upwards and met his eyes. His features softened however when he looked at me, before his gaze clouded over with lust looking at my attire.

It wasn't like the little dress was sexy or anything, but it was in light pink and very cute. I let my eyes wander again and followed a drop that slid down from his neck, down his chest and disappeared into the little white towel that hung around his hips.

I quickly remembered that he was looking at me and snapped my eyes up to his eyes again. I felt heat warming my face in what probably was the biggest blush ever. I wondered if he was going to say something or just stand there. Feeling more uncomfortable I shifted my weight from the one leg to the other.

Eric eventually decided to speak, and I glimpsed the tip of his sharp fangs. "I'm sorry for waking you. I just needed to borrow your shower." He said in that deep rumble.

"Why?" I asked dumb, not getting why he didn't use his own like he usually did.

"Because _someone _has filled the showerhead in my shower with fish oil" He said a little harsher and the anger in his face returned.

It was then I noticed the horrible smell that erupted from him. I took a little step back to avoid it, but once I noticed it, it wouldn't go away.

"I have showered three times, but the smell still lingers." He continued angrily.

"Um, I'm sorry?" I said, really not knowing what to say.

"You don't know which of the two _someone's _that did it?" He questioned, folding his arms over his hard chest to my displeasure, and raised one of his eyebrows. I only shook my head and closed the door in his face.

"Dear Lord." I muttered and found my perfume so I could spray it around the room to get rid of the awful fish smell. When I couldn't smell it anymore I got back in the bed and smiled to myself. It was kind of funny! I wondered who of them that did it.

Sometime later Eric came into the bedroom. I looked at him, trying to hide my amusement. I made room for him to lie down beside me, and snuggled into his body. I regretted it immediately when I still detected the faint smell of fish oil.

"Eric, you smell. It's disgusting." I giggled and pulled away from him.

He growled and pulled me back into his body, ignoring my protests. "The one who did it is going to regret it deeply." He said irritated. It only made me laugh harder as I tried to pull away again. "No, Sookie, you are not going escape me now." He said and dragged me back.

"Eric, I am never going to be able to sleep when you smell like a fish!" I protested again.

He sighed and let me go slowly. "Fine, I am going to rub myself in either Pam's or Timmie's bed, whichever one of them that came up with this _funny _idea." He said and stood from the bed.

I did find it funny, but felt very lonely when he left my room. God, I really was starting to like him and not just physically. This was not good.

Three days later me, Timmie and Pam had been to the movies, out "fighting" (them fighting and me trying to shot at a tree) and now we were back in the spa. Eric had been busy with "business"; something I guessed had something to do with the Queen. I was anxious and nervous for going there with Eric tomorrow.

We were getting a back massages when they both had started questioning me about Jason. Even Pam thought I should have called him, even though she was certain to make sure I knew she really didn't care.

"He is you only brother." Timmie argued.

I missed him very much, but I had gotten used the idea of not talking to him. It made things that much easier, and I wouldn't be reminded of my "situation" after Pam and Timmie had almost made me forget it.

"I know. I will call him later tonight." I said weakly.

"He will probably be asleep. You can borrow my phone and do it now. Get it over with." Pam drawled.

"Alright, alright" I said annoyed from their nagging and got off the table, careful to keep the large towel wrapped around me. I found Pam's phone and mentioned to my masseur that I would be right back. I got out of the room and found a private one I could talk to my brother.

I didn't know why I was so nervous when I dialed his number. It was a long time since I had talked to him, and I suddenly felt very guilty for not even calling him on Christmas or New Year's Eve.

"_Hello?" _His tired voice sounded through the phone.

Tears gathered in my eyes when I heard his voice. "Jason? It's me, Sookie."

"_Sookie? Where the fuck have you been? You haven't called in ages; I was starting to think something had happened!" _

"I know, I am sorry Jason. Life got a little… hectic, but I am perfectly fine." I said, trying to reassure him.

"_Sam told me you were back? Why haven't you come home?" _He said again.

"It is true, but I haven't got the chance yet. I promise I will come when I have time." I promised, knowing I probably wouldn't.

"_Is it that Fanger that has you? I can come at get you Sook, you are my baby sister. I'll take care of you." _

My heart swelled and warmed, knowing that he cared so much. I smiled sadly. "I am living with him Jason, but don't worry about me. I am perfectly fine, whatever Sam have told you are wrong. He is overreacting." I didn't know how Sam knew I was back. But since he did, and since he knew I was with Eric he was probably mad as hell, thinking I was kidnapped. Not that I wasn't, but I knew Sam hated Eric. I just hoped Sam would stay away so he wouldn't be hurt again.

Jason was silent for a moment before he started to whisper. _"Are you sure? If he is there right now you don't have to say anything, but I can come over and help you. I can take care of him." _

I smiled over my brother's stupidity. "I am fine Jason. I miss you, though."

He was silent for a little while longer before he spoke normal again. _"I miss you too. Look, I have company so could you call me later?" _

Rolling my eyes, I dried my tears and shook my head. He hadn't changed at least. "Sure. I will try to come by soon."

"_Good, just call first." He said. _

"I will. Say "hello" to Sam from me, and tell him that I am perfectly fine and not to worry." I said and Jason reassured me he would.

"I love you Jase."

"_I love you too sis." _ He said and we hung up. I smiled, feeling a ton of bricks disappearing from my shoulders.

Happy, I went back to Pam and Timmie and laid down on the massage table.

"How did it go?" Timmie asked.

I smiled. "Fine, I am glad I finally talked to him."

"I would have liked to see him _take care of Eric_" Pam snorted.

I glared at her. "Did you listen in?"

"Of course... Why wouldn't I, when I have super hearing?" She said dryly.

I rolled my eyes again and only concentrated on the amazing hands that were kneading my back.

When we returned to the apartment Eric was already there. "I need to talk with you about tomorrow." He said from the couch.

I nodded and turned to look at Timmie and Pam. "We are going hunting." Pam said and Timmie lit up before they dissapeared.

I sat down in the opposite end away from Eric and looked at him. He seemed to study me for a second. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked, surprising me.

I did eat some fruit this morning… Or it was evening, but I was following vampire hours now. I did drink a lot of coffee, and a few sandwiches, but hadn't eaten proper food for about a month, and that was in the Queens mansion. "This morning…. Or evening…." I said, not really knowing what he called it.

He didn't say anything, but continued to study me. It was like he would see right into my soul with his piercing blue eyes. "You should eat more." He eventually said.

I got a little offended. "Sorry." I said sarcastically. When he didn't say anything more, I got irritated. "Is that the only thing you wanted to say?" I was sorry, but couldn't really help that my appetite for food had dissapeared. It wasn't like I tried to starve myself.

"We need to speak about your work for the Queen." He said, back in busyness mode. I nodded in understanding and waited for him to continue. "You need to act like you belong to me, like you did last time."

"Aren't I already?" I muttered under my breath but he only continued.

"You still need my permission to speak when we are there, and we must try to stick together as much as possible." I frowned slightly. Was he expecting something to happen? "Do not leave our room in the day unless you pay attention to those around you."

Okay, I couldn't hold it any longer. "Do you believe she will try something?"

"It wouldn't be a smart move, but the Queen isn't very smart. She is obsessed with you and will try to take you, either by kidnapping you or staking me." He explained. I snorted when he mention "obsessed." I know another vampire who suffered from the same disease… Two actually…

"If you want to stay there you can." He added, a little more lowly, clearly not something he wanted.

"I don't want to stay there." I said, feeling more nervous.

"When you read the people, one of the Queens minions, probably Andre will ask them questions. If you hear something you think we should know about you will only notice and tell me." He said, a little more relaxed and warmth in his eyes.

I nodded in understanding again. "How long are we staying there?"

"Depends on how many people you read in one night. Two, maybe three nights perhaps."

"Anything else I should know?" I asked.

He started at me, hunger appearing in his eyes. "I want you to carry my mark on you again."

The mark he had given me the last time had healed. I gulped, not liking the sound of that. "When?"

"Now, if you don't mind. I won't hurt you." He reassured me. Yeah, that was kind of not what I was afraid of. I stood slowly and walked over to him, sitting down beside him. "It would be more comfortable for you if you sat in my lap." He said lowly.

I swallowed hard again. "It's okay, I feel fine here." I said, feeling my heart starting to beat faster. I tried to think about the time we had bonded. I hadn't reacted to his bites then, so maybe this wouldn't be so bad either. Just feeling him near, made me want to give in. I had struggled so hard not to jump him or let the fake lust take over my body, but I was finding it extremely hard, now that he softly brushed away my hair from my shoulder and touched me.

Heat erupted when he touched my neck. I wanted him. I _wanted_ to give in and I _didn't want_ to give in. If I did, that would be it. I would give him the last of my control and would never be able to go back. I wasn't angry at him anymore for what he did. After all of the therapy sessions with Pam and Timmie, I had finally accepted the truth. He had saved me from Bill, Quinn, and he had saved me from Andre.

"Relax Sookie." Eric whispered hoarsely. I noticed how tense I was sitting, and stopped thinking all together. I decided that I would just go with the flow, don't fight anything and don't do anything.

I closed my eyes as Eric leaned in on my neck, preparing for the bite.

**Eric POV**

I leaned closer, smelling her sweet natural scent. Pam and Timmie had done the impossible and healed her. I was ecstatic, tracing my lips up and down her neck. "You smell like honey and wheat bread, my favorite food when I was human." I said absently, not really telling her, but just talking to myself. Something lacked though and I knew what it was. She was so pale. She hadn't been outside in daylight since I brought her home. Her sun-kissed, sun-smelling skin was lacking the scent of sun.

I knew I was a terrible host, but I had tried to keep the fridge full, and offered to take her places. I had never been responsible for a human before, not that my bonded couldn't take care of herself… But I seriously needed to do some more reading about humans. I knew that this apartment wasn't enough, and would make Pam prepare for us to move to the other safe house the Queen didn't know about. Not that the safe houses the Queen knew about actually was _safe. _

My lover shivered, and I caught the teasing scent of her arousal. I groaned softly before I licked the spot I wanted to bite before I carefully sank my fangs into her neck.

Her little gasp quickly turned into a moan when I started to pull at her blood. I rolled my eyes back in my head, enjoying the rich taste of her blood. I sneaked my arms around her and pulled her closer. Her arousal got heavier in the air, almost suffocating me, driving me nuts. I dragged her even closer, and into my lap. Her heart was beating fast as she clutched my shoulder holding me tight. She moaned again and wiggled slightly, making me groan when she sat directly over my erection.

I sucked on her puncture wounds harder, grinding myself into her. She moaned louder, digging her fingernails in my shoulder and clutched me tighter, rocking back and forth in my lap with my assistance.

I pulled harder on her neck, knowing she was close to her peak. She reached it, clawing on my back in the process drawing blood, making me follow right after her over the edge. I held her tight as we came down again. She slumped against me, breathing hard. I wanted to lick the wounds, but couldn't, in case my salvia healed them. Instead, I kissed them and nuzzled her neck.

I had wanted her for so long, and finally I had gotten a tiny taste. I felt whole, content and completely right, to have her in my arms like this and I knew she felt the same way even if she had closed off the end of her bond. I took an unnecessary breath, breathing her in. She was limp in my arms but eventually stirred and started to pull away. I wanted to hold her back, but loosened my grip so she wouldn't feel trapped.

"I think I'll just go to bed." She mumbled and averted her eyes as she stood on her shaky legs. I steadied her before she straightened up and hurried into her room without saying anything else. I frowned slightly, wondering if I had done something wrong again. I stood from the couch and followed her into her room.

She was already in bed, back against me and didn't turn. "Can I still sleep here?" I asked.

"Sure." She answered, her voice a little shaky as she still were breathing harder than normal. I undressed and crawled into the bed like I used to do, but didn't pull her close this time. I lay on my side and started at her until she turned around. I looked into her blue eyes, the eyes I felt could see right into my soul. "I'm sorry." She said and scooted closer, snuggling into me.

"For what?" I asked low, enjoying the scent of her arousal again.

"For freaking out on you. I'm sorry, it's scares me because… I don't know." She started to explain but drifted off with the mumble.

"Why are you so determined to not like me?" I asked curious, feeling it was the problem.

"I'm not, I just… I don't know." She said, holding the truth hidden inside.

"I am sorry for being cruel to you, Sookie. I know I am a monster and should follow in my Makers path. I have made it easy for you to hate me," I said shallow. I would never leave this world like Godric had, not when I had something to protect. From the day I was born as a human I had learned that dying in battle was the right thing. But without my lover, I could picture how peacefully it would have been to decide when to go, just like my Maker. Of course, I wouldn't leave Pam and Timmie like that but they had each other.

"You are not a monster Eric. I realize that I have judged you hard, but you have saved my life many times with your actions." She said softly.

"What about Lafayette? How I punished Timmie?" I asked sternly, knowing she could never approve of something like that.

"I can't accept that, but I understand that the human world is different from the vampire world." She sighed. I pulled her away so I could look at her when she spoke. How we had ended up talking like this I had no idea of. "You have never been cruel to me unless you _had_ to, to save both of our lives. I am sorry I have been so blind."

I lifted my hand and let a finger stroke the side of her hair and face. She said she understood my actions, and I was glad that she had finally gotten the musky cloud preventing her from seeing the truth (that _Bill _had placed in her brain) was gone. "I am glad that you understand, but can you ever forgive me? "

"I am trying" she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes, but she held them back.

"I have wanted you since you first stepped into my bar. First only for one reason, but that changed, I changed. The feelings I feel for you was… _are_ new to me. It is dangerous and a sign of weakness. But I couldn't seem to get you out of my mind even how hard I tried." I struggled to find the right words, and to even say them out loud. I had never admitted my feeling before, not even to Godric.

"When you left I didn't feel right. I needed you, and still need you beside me. I realized that without you I am nothing. Somehow, between all the troubles I had to get you out of, I found a way to get lost in you." I smirked slightly and she smiled back, still teary eyed. I didn't like this at all, but I realized that I owed her, after everything. I sighed, taking an unnecessary breath, readying for the next part I needed to say. "Let me inside, let me get close to you. Please, or I'll get lost."

The tears were spilling from her eyes now and I dried them quickly away, not liking her crying.

**Sookie POV**

"I am trying" I repeated and willed my tears away. I knew Eric had this deepness to him after seeing him on the rooftop with Godric, but I never thought he would feel so deeply for me. He had practically told me he loved me. I didn't want to admit my own fears, but since he had done it, I couldn't hurt him like that now.

"I want you, Eric and that scares me. I think I always have wanted you, but…. You have hurt me so bad, and I know now that is wasn't intentionally, or that it was necessary for our survival. When you brought me here, I gave up. I didn't know how much hate and sorrow a person could possess until that time. I didn't want it at the time, and I didn't want the blood bond."

I took a deep breath, remembering how devastated, empty and careless I used to feel. "But then I started to feel comfort through the bond. I developed feelings I never thought I would have. I feel like I need you as much as you need me. But I am confused. Would I feel this way if we didn't have the bond? Is it really me that craves you this much? I have gone from hating you to…" Oh god, I was going to say it. "…Loving you in one month…"

Eric frowned and continued to stroke my hair, soothingly. "I am sorry I have neglected you. I wanted to tell you about the bond, but I knew you wouldn't believe what I told you." He murmured softly.

I smiled sadly. "You are right, I wouldn't. But I can't help feeling confused. I don't know what is real or not."

Eric nodded, absently.

Wondered if I should say more, but I guessed I had said enough for now. I looked at Eric and recognized the thoughtful expression and worry in his eyes.

"Do you want me to keep a distance?" He asked eventually.

I thought about the meaning, but I decided quickly. The one night he had stunk of fish oil and slept elsewhere I had felt lonely and scared. No, I loved our routine. "No."

He nodded and pulled me against my chest in a hug. I breathed deeply, smelling his unique scent and felt my stomach flutter. I really did care for me like Pam and Timmie had tied to convince me of. I suddenly didn't feel so embarrassed or scared after what had happened on the couch. I had panicked a little after how much I realized I belonged in his arms, having second thought my decision only minutes before. But now I felt almost happy. The fact that he, the thousand year old vampire that had claimed to know nothing of love or have feelings in the Fellowship church, had actually admitted his deep feelings to me.

I smiled and closed my eyes, enjoying the comfort and strong arms he had around me.

**Eric POV**

My lover was falling asleep, but I was denying the sun's call, lost in thought. We did actually have the conversation none of us wanted to have, and I was the one starting it, doing the confessions about my _feelings._

What she had said however, did make me think. I had considered telling her about my plans on breaking the bond and give her the way out. I wasn't as nervous anymore for her to leave me, because I knew how she felt. I knew that the feelings she wasn't certain belonged to her, actually did belonged to her. Would she leave me even though she felt what she did towards me? I didn't believe so… She needed me as much as I needed her. But I intended to break our bond so she could be sure on herself. Maybe get someone to tell her about it that was not me or my child. Someone on the outside… I could only hope that she would believe in me, and believe in herself enough to remake the bond afterwards.

We would go to the Queen tomorrow, come back in one piece and stay in my summerhouse. If my backup were ready for action we would take out the Queen the next month. I didn't want Sookie anywhere near the fights that would occur, but we had to act natural. I cringed slightly by my plan that was not telling her anything before it happened like I used to. I knew now that if I would have a chance to gain her trust I needed to tell her. But not now, not yet…

Satisfied with all of the conclusions I had made I placed a kiss on the top of my lover's head before I died for the day.


	28. Chapter 28

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
**

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**Sookie POV**

I woke slowly, stretching like a cat into Eric's hard body that was dead behind me. I remembered our conversation and smiled slightly at his words. I hoped I hadn't hurt him with my confession of insecurity, but I was at least honest.

I smelled coffee and hurried out of the bed, grabbing a bathrobe and I found Timmie in the kitchen. "Morning" She smiled.

"Hey." I smiled and sat down beside her after pouring myself a cup.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, looking a little worried.

"Fine, I guess?" I frowned, wondering what she was getting at.

"I have something for you." She said and placed a little giftwrapped box in front of me.

"What's this?" I said stunned, not expecting that.

"Open it! It is really from me and Pam, but don't tell Pam! You know it is from her as well." She said seriously.

I smiled at her, before I opened the gift. I gasped, looking at the little necklace that was lying inside. The pendant was a dove that had its wings spread. "Thank you, it is really sweet." I said and picked it and placed it around my neck.

"It is silver." Timmie said and smiled a little.

I was just about to respond when Eric appeared in the kitchen. "Has Pam given you your instructions for when we are gone?" He asked Timmie. I looked at him confused before I looked back to Timmie.

"Yes." She smiled, sounding excited, only making me more curious.

"Good." He nodded and warmed a bottle of blood before he took a sip. His gazed turned to me and my stomach fluttered when his eyes were warm. "We need to leave in ten minutes."

I nodded and stood from the chair. "Good luck. Don't do anything stupid." Timmie said and hugged me. I patted her back and left them in the kitchen and went back to the bedroom. A little bag was lying on the bed and I packed a few clothes in it before I went to the bathroom. I froze, seeing my reflection in the mirror. The two little puncture marks on the side of my neck were standing out on my pale skin. I traced them with my fingers and blushed, thinking of my reaction when he had bit me.

I splashed some cold water in my face before I dressed in the new clothes and applied some light make-up. I let my hair loose and curly around my shoulders. Entering the bedroom again the little bag was gone. In the living room Eric was waiting for me. His face looked almost weird when he smiled softly at me.

I smiled back before I looked away slightly embarrassed. "Ready?" He asked me, drawing my attention back to him. "Yeah. " I said and followed him upstairs.

I was heading towards the SUV when he gripped me arm and dragged me further, towards his red corvette. I had gotten so used to the SUV I had forgotten about his own car. The place his hands held my arm gently tingled before he let go to open the car door for me.

"Thanks." I said and slid inside. He was in the driver seat beside me before I could blink. We started the drive in silence. I started out of the window and jumped when I felt his hand grip around mine. I turned my head and looked at our joined hands.

"You look beautiful, Sookie." Eric murmured. I blushed. "Thank you. It was Pam who bought the clothes."

"I know, they are nice as well." He commented. I looked at him and felt heat bubble under my skin when he pulled my hand closer and placed a kiss on my palm.

We continued to drive in a comfortable silence until we were almost at the Queen's palace. "Sookie, I want you to remember that we both need to keep up with the appearance." Eric said and slowed down the speed, before stopping completely. He rolled down his window and one of the Queen's guards leaned down and stared at both of us.

"The Queen wants you to use her garage." The guard said.

Eric nodded, but I could see his jaw tighten slightly before he started the car again.

"What?" I asked concerned. Eric glanced at me before following the road that led under the Queens mansion and into the garage. "The Queen expects us to stay a few days when she wants us to park down here." He said and found a place to park.

I took a deep breath before I started to get out of the car. Before I could open the door however, Eric grasped my hand again and pulled me back. "I meant what I said Sookie. We need to keep up the appearance and make the Queen believe you are my well-trained pet."

"Fine." I said. I wasn't stupid, I knew it was important, but it still hurt a little.

"I meant what I said last night as well, Sookie. I look at you as my equal." He said and stared me deep in my eyes.

I smiled a little, knowing how Eric always said he hated humans, and now I was suddenly an equal. It was kind of weird, but his words warmed me and I leaned in closer and placed my lips softly at his cheek, kissing him. "I'll try to hurry so we can go home faster." I said and he smiled.

**Eric POV**

I really liked how she said "go _home_ faster". It made me anxious and excited for the surprise I had for her. I wondered how she would like my other safe house, but hoped that she would be pleased.

"Let's go." I said and 'vamped' around the car and opened the door for her. She accepted my hand and I guided her towards the elevator and the two guards that were guarding it. The tension was high when we stood in silence, the elevator lifting us slowly. When the door opened, we were met with Andre waiting for us in the foyer. "Northman, how nice of you to grace us with the presence of you and your pet." He said and started at Sookie hungrily before he looked at me.

I challenged him with my eyes, feeling the urge to hide my lover from him and keep her safe. "My _bonded_ is eager to start the work her majesty requires of her." I nodded, and went straight to business.

"Of course, this will be interesting. Follow me." He said and started to walk down the corridor. I squeezed gently my lover's hand as we walked after him. Andre led us to the Queen's Conference room and I wasn't surprised to see her already waiting for us.

"Ah, my lovely Sherriff." She said and I nodded my head deep in 'respect.'

"My Queen." I said and strolled closer to the table, still with my bonded in hand.

"I trust that you have kept my asset in good and safe hands?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows with that smug smile.

"She has been safe" I nodded, not commenting on the "good" part. I felt my bonded squeeze my hand a little and opened her side of the bond. She was giving me reassurance, but I could feel her worry as well.

"Good. How about a little snack before we start?" She suggested.

I tensed slightly, cursing myself for not talking about this with Sookie. Would she mind that I bit her again, or should I eat from one of the Queen's donors? "I am not hungry." I said instead of taking the risk of choosing wrong.

"You will feed with me later." The Queen snipped. "Now, shall we start, I have waited a long time to see if the rumors about your little pet are true." She snickered and dropped her fangs, studying Sookie.

There was only one chair beside the Queen, and I sat down dragging my lover into my lap, careful to hold her close and as far away from the Queen as possible. I suppressed the groan when her little warm body pressed against mine, waking my lust and hunger for her. She shivered as the bond was filling with mutual lust before the air filled with her slight arousal.

"Mm, she smells delicious." The Queen said and sniffed the air. "Are you sure you don't share her, Northman?" Andre spoke from the other side of the Queen. My lover tensed slightly and I dropped my fangs halfway down. "You can't blame me for keeping her all for myself." I smirked, still challenging him with my eyes.

He dropped his own fangs, staring at me smugly before one of the guards entered with the first human who and sat down on the opposite side of the table. We sat in silence for a little while I kept track of my lovers bond while the human on the other side scented the room with fear.

Sookie turned slightly in my lap, almost making me groan before she stilled again.

"Martin Beck." The Queen said, getting the humans attention. "Are you planning anything to hurt me or mine?" She asked and looked at Sookie, waiting for the answer.

Sookie turned in my lap again and arranged herself so she could easily whisper in my ear. "Andre must leave" She whispered so soft and low I almost didn't hear in myself.

I glanced from her to the Queen. "Andre is scaring the human and is keeping him from giving my bonded any useful information." I said calmly.

Andre stood from his seat and hissed. "How dare you." He snarled at Sookie who whimpered. I hissed back and held my arms protectively around her.

"My child, leave the room." The Queen said calmly, also staring at Sookie. Andre did as she said and the human visibly relaxed a little. He looked between us confused, before the Queen asked the same question again.

Sookie didn't move or say anything, while the Queen questioned him further. Eventually the Queen stopped and looked at me. "Has he spoke the truth?" I asked her.

"Yes, Master." She answered and I almost forgot to hide my pleased smirk when she said "Master". That was to be expected of a pet, so I needed to act normal.

"What was he thinking?" The Queen asked her skeptically.

Sookie looked at me and I nodded, pleased that she remembered how to act. "He is confused to why he is here and don't have any plans on defying you. He do thinks vampires are cool and have lied to his wife who doesn't like them about this job. She thinks he is a bouncer at something called "Claire", like he has told her, which would also help him cover how much money he was making. He just like to excitement and fast earned money. But he is afraid of your child." Sookie explained.

While she talked, the human's eyes widened in shock. "Please don't tell my wife, she will kill me!" He said desperately. The Queen however looked pleased and mentioned for the guard to get him out and the new human in as Andre entered the room again.

The human female stunk of the same fear like the male that had just exited. She glanced nervously around the room before the guard pushed her down in the chair. Sookie tensed in my arms again and leaned closer. "Andre is frightening her." She whispered and I glanced at the Queen again.

"Your child needs to leave." I said calmly before I shot out my arm to block Andre's attack. Sookie gasped when I quickly stood, still holding on to her so she wouldn't fall from the quick move. I shoved her behind me and got ready to fight if Andre decided to attack again. "Andre." The Queen hissed.

Andre glared at me before he retracted his fangs. "I am staying."

I looked at the Queen who shrugged and smiled a little. So much for making my bonded's job easier. Andre sat smugly down in his chair and I tried to keep calm and not follow my instincts to rip out the spine from his body. The fast beating of two pair of hearts reminded me of my lover. I felt her slight fear and turned to gather her in my arms again.

"Master?" She said softly, asking for permission to speak. "Yes?"

"Can I touch her so I can hear her better?" She said and looked to the scared female. I quickly took the chair we had used and placed it beside the scared human who shied away. I beckoned for Sookie who came closer and sat down in the chair. I stood behind protectively and nodded for the Queen who looked bored.

"Grace Stewart" The Queen drawled. "Are you planning anything to hurt me or mine?"

**Sookie POV**

I wondered if it was a regular custom that the "pets" sat in their Master's lap when Eric dragged me down onto his. I was embarrassed of the lust I felt sneaking though my body, especially when the Queen made sure to know she noticed.

My heart sped up when Andre asked if Eric shared me, and I was actually glad for my Vikings possessiveness. I relaxed into him when the first man came in, but got very alerted when scenes of Andre feeding from him entered my mind.

I wiggled in Eric's lap, blushing when I felt _his_ lust, and positioned myself across his lap so I could whisper to him more easily. Andre needed to go if I wanted to get anything from this man's mind. Andre wasn't pleased, but I was thankful when he did leave. Not only did it calm the man, but me as well.

I cleared him and flinched again when a new woman entered the room. Her thoughts were almost panicked when pictures of when Andre had assaulted her, forced her to her knees and made her do things that made me want to vomit flew through her mind.

I couldn't get anything from her because of Andre's presence in the room, and I told Eric again. It happened so quickly I gasped in surprise and almost fell when Eric stood from the chair. I swallowed hard, afraid for myself and for Eric when the Queen stopped her _child's _attack.

When Andre stayed I knew my job had just gotten much harder. I asked permission of my _Master_ if I could touch her. Eric placed the chair beside the woman and motioned for me to sit down while he just stood behind me protectively.

"Grace Stewart" The Queen drawled. "Are you planning anything to hurt me or mine?"

I gripped Grace's hand as the Queen asked the question. She tried to pull it away but I just hold it back.

"No" she answered the Queen and looked at me afraid before back at the Queen. _Dear Lord, didn't I please him enough? Are they going to punish me for not wanting to be abused? I knew I shouldn't have worked here at all, I knew I should have stayed away. God, he is looking at me again. _

"Have you any friends that are against vampires, or do you know of anyone that want me or mine harm?" The Queen continued to ask.

"No" she answered timidly again. _Fuck, they are going to kill me. _

I felt sorry for the woman who clearly was too frightened to think of anything else but what Andre had done. I leaned back in the chair, feeling Eric behind me relieved in his presence of comfort and safety. I had forgotten how frightening Andre was and were even more grateful for Eric.

I felt his recurrence through the bond as I listened into the frightened thoughts to Grace while Queen questioned her further. When she finished, she looked at me expectantly again.

It was Eric who spoke however. "Sookie, you have my permission to speak freely without asking."

I let go of the hand I was holding and took a breath before I informed the Queen of her thoughts. If she expected to continue like this, we would never get done. "She is only thinking about her worry of being killed, and believes she is here because she didn't please Andre enough. Her only thoughts are about how she was abused and her regret of working for you." I said to the Queen, trying not to seem accusing. "I didn't get anything else."

Grace had broken down when I talked and sobbed in her hands. I looked at the Queen who didn't look affected at all, not that it surprised me. "Next" she only said and a guard removed her from the chair. A few seconds later another woman sat beside me. She was equally confused as the other two and started nervously around her before her gaze landed on Andre.

I placed my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, just relax and answer the questions." I said, trying to calm her when I got the drift of her thoughts.

_Oh no, it's him. I hoped I would never see him again! Why can't he just leave me alone? Why do they want to ask me question, I haven't done anything wrong. Oh God, maybe they know about the time I stole the fruit from the kitchen. _

"Ann Weston. Are you planning anything to hurt me or mine?" The Queen said again.

_Why would I hurt them, am I in some kind of trouble? God, he is looking at me, I need to act normal. He said he would kill me if I told anyone!_

"No?" She answered quickly. I cleared y throat softly before I looked to the Queen. "May I ask the questions?"

She looked at me sharply, but eventually nodded. I sighed, and turned back to Ann. "Ann, look at me." I directed and she did. Her brown eyes were wide. "I want you to only concentrate on me, and not think about anything else. You are not in trouble; I just want to ask you some question I need to ask all of the employees here." I said softly and patted her hand.

She seemed to relax a little bit, and I got annoyed about the Queens handling of her employees. She could at least have told them that they all were going to be questioned so they wouldn't be so confused or afraid. Not to mention that Andre had been spreading fear on his own ways I didn't even want to think about.

"When did you start to work here?" I asked, easing into the conversation.

"Six months ago." She said truthfully.

"Do you like working for vampires?" I felt Eric's approval and pride through the bond.

_God, should I tell them that the blonde scares me? He will probably kill me if I tell the truth. _"Very much." She smiled stiffly.

"Have you even thought about harming them?" I forced myself deeper into her brain.

_That blonde should pay for what he has done. Poor Amanda never recovered. If only he had been gone, this place would be perfect. _"Of course not."

I smiled reassuringly. "If you ever got the chance to… Hurt any of them, would you?"

_That fucker deserves it, I would hesitate! _"No, never. I love all vampires." She said again.

I released her hand and turned to the Queen. "She is telling the truth." I lied. The possibility of her killing Andre didn't concern me. I would be glad if she ever got the chance, but she probably never would. I felt Eric's curiosity through the bond, but he didn't say anything.

What seemed like hours later I had found three people from the Fellowship, and one just wanted to kill them for fun... I was beginning to feel tired. I wasn't used to use my telepathy so much, and when most of the people were afraid of Andre and only thinking about him, I had to work hard to get the information I wanted.

"My bonded needs a break." Eric said still standing behind me. He hadn't left me for a second, something I treasured greatly. Especially, when I got the hungry stares from Andre all the time, creeping me out.

"Your human is very remarkable. I never thought she would work this good. I am almost mad at myself for making that contract with you now, Viking." The Queen said and stood.

"She is very pleasing." Eric nodded.

"I am hungry. Andre, go fetch my Hadley." The Queen demanded and started to walk out of the room. "Northman are you going to be feeding from your pet, or do you want one of my new donors again?" The Queens voice sounded through the door.

Eric took my hand and we hurried after the Queen. I met his gaze and knew he was asking me. I didn't want to see him feeding on someone else, but I sure as hell would repeat what had happened yesterday when everyone could watch.

Eric felt my worry and smiled, probably feeling my lust as I thought about yesterday. I couldn't help to smile back while blushing before I nodded. "I will feed from my bonded." Eric answered the Queen.

Excitement coursed through me along with worry, but if I just kept my mind on something else while he fed I was sure I would control myself. We walked into the familiar throne room, and the Queen sat down in the throne immediately. She stared at me a little curiously, but I ignored her and followed Eric to a smaller chair beside her. He didn't need to pull me down in his lap as I automatically did it myself.

It was then I heard the moans and hisses. Turning my head, I stared at a silver chained Bill. He was lying on the floor just a few meters away. I almost gasped, but bit my tongue in the last second. He was bloody, thin, his skin was paper gray and his face was screwed up in pain. I felt suddenly very guilty, knowing I was probably the cause of his pain. Even if he had scarred me for life, he didn't deserve _this_.

"Oh, yes, Compton has a few weeks left of his punishment." The Queen commented, noticing me staring.

Eric tightened his arms around me feeling my guilt. In his end I knew he was satisfied and I glared at him for a moment before the doors opened and Andre came in with Hadley and got my attention. "Sookie!" Hadley said happily and walked faster towards me to give me a hug.

I hugged her back awkwardly from Eric's lap before she released me and hurried back to her Queen and sat down by her feet's.

"My Hadley has missed you very much, Sookie." The Queen said and petted Hadley on her head. Hadley smiled at me and I ignored the Queen again to smile back.

"I've got your area reports last week Northman. Fangtasia has been doing very well in December. I heard rumors about a tiger?" The Queen said haughtily.

"The rumors are right. My pet, Timmie, has been helping a lot in drawing new customers." Eric said a matter of fact tone. I wonderer again what Timmie had done, and was sure it had something to do with the punishment she had served.

"She is Quinn's cousin, is she not?" She questioned and Eric nodded.

I felt suddenly uncomfortable with how many questions she was asking and knew Eric shared my emotion. "Fought in the pits until you bought her, am I right?" She continued.

"That is correct." Eric confirmed. I didn't know he had _bought _her, something I didn't like the sound of, but I ignored it. I knew he had saved her.

"Lived with you and Pamela until she moved back to England and her Gran is the sister of the famous Dr. Ludwig, now back in your care." She drawled and lifted Hadley up in her lap who almost purred in approval.

"Correct." Eric nodded again, but I felt how tense and displeasure through the bond.

"How nice." The Queen snickered before she concentrated on Hadley's neck who immediately started to moan.

I strained my neck to offer Eric and caught Andre's jealous and hungry stare before I averted my eyes. I closed them tight when Eric's cold breath hit my neck right before I felt his tongue on my neck. Heat bubbled inside and I tried my hardest to think of anything else. I thought of Gran, Jason, and Bill, anything that would damper my lust.

I felt Eric close off the bond before he quickly sunk his fangs into my neck. He did it a little faster and made it sting slightly with throbbing pain. I gasped slightly, but was thankful when Eric made sure this experience wasn't like yesterday at all. He pulled on my neck one time, making the pain more prominent before he let go and licked my neck.

He cradled me close when he had finished and kissed my cheek. I felt him opening his bond again, and was surprised when I felt worry and regret coming from him. I however felt relieved and content which made him slightly relax.

I was disgusted to hear Hadley's moans when she wiggled and hold on to the Queen that I tried to block them out. I turned my head and found Bill's eyes staring at me. His body was sizzling where the silver burned him. His dark eyes looked from my eyes to the place on my neck where Eric had bit. I shivered lightly when his stare penetrated mine again. His eyes looked very much like the dark and calculating they had been when I had first been in his house with Malcom, Diane and Liam.

I drifted away in memoirs until Eric brought me back to reality by squeezing me a little. I snapped my head in the direction of the Queen who obviously had asked me a question. "Excuse me?" I mumbled again.

The Queen had blood smeared around her mouth and she only smiled her false sweet smile. "I bet you are tired after reading the humans tonight. You may go to your room and rest, we can continue tomorrow."

I was feeling a little tired, but I knew it was still a few hours until sunrise. A few hours I could continue to read her humans and get away from this mansion faster. "Oh, thank you for your concern, but I am very able to continue with the readings." I said and smiled.

"I bet you are only trying to impress your Master. Now, both of you are dismissed for the night. Same room as last time." She said sweetly before she waved us off. I was about to protest again when Eric stood from the chair still with me in my hands.

"Thank you, your majesty." He said and placed me on the ground, grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. I didn't say anything, but was feeling more and more angry. The minute our bedroom door closed behind us I was assaulted by Eric's lips on mine. I felt surprised, a little shocked and very much alive when he kissed me that passionately. Lust flared inside of me again and I felt disappointed when he pulled back.

I was about to say something again when he placed one finger on my lips and looked pointy at me. I frowned and nodded, confused as Eric pulled out some sort of device before he started to search high and low for something. He continued through the whole room and I understood that he looked for bugs the Queen could use to spy on us.

Eight crushed bugs later Eric was obviously satisfied that the room was clean. "You did very well tonight, Sookie." He said as he tucked the devise away.

"Thanks," I said, still a little weak from his kiss.

He strode over to where I stood still by the door and cupped my cheek with his hands. "I am sorry if I caused you pain when I fed off of you. Can you forgive me?"

I smiled. "There is nothing to forgive. The pain was just perfect to stop me from… You know." I said, suddenly embarrassed again and looked away from him.

"Good, that was my intention, since I presumed that was what you were worrying about." He said and smirked.

I rolled my eyes and stepped away from him and further into the familiar room. "The Queen just excused us so I wouldn't read more humans today, doing it impossible to leave faster." I stated.

"I know, she wants us to stay for as long as possible." Eric agreed. I sat down on the bed and looked at him. "Do you have any idea of why?"

"She is either planning something to get you, or she is just her insufferable self and enjoys showing her power over us." He said and walked around slowly.

"Someone needs to kill her." I muttered and fell back on the soft bed. From the corner of my eye I could see Eric stop his strolling and look at me with amusement. "You don't need to worry my bonded. Someone will eventually."

I turned my head and leaned on my elbows to look at him better. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, taking his little hint.

"I have some unfinished plans. You will be informed when they are finished and are solid enough to act upon." He said.

I felt really curious and a little irritated that he would tell me more now, but I trusted him to tell me eventually. I laid back and relaxed my mind.

"You are tired." Eric said, instead of asking.

I hadn't used my telepathy for a long time, so reading the Queen employees had taken my mentally strength away. I would still have continued if not the Queen had dismissed us, however. I was not _that _tired. "Yeah." I said.

"Do you want me to draw you a bath?" He asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at his soft and caring face. "That would be nice." I said low. Thoughts about sharing the tub with him filled my mind like it had done a countless times before and I quickly closed my end of the bond.

With human speed he walked into the adjoining bathroom and I heard him turning on the water. I waited for him to come out and tell me it was ready and almost fell asleep.

"It is ready for you." He said, suddenly beside me. He followed me into the bathroom where the tub was filled with warm water and one candle was burning on the sink. "It was the only one I could find." He said and crossed his arms and leaned back into a wall.

That was so sweet of him!

"Thank you." I smiled and took a deep breath.

"You're welcome. Just call me if you need anything." He said and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him softly. I wanted to call immediately and invite him to join me, but that would be a little too soon and intimately for me.

Instead, I shed my clothes and sunk down in the hot water. I sighed, enjoying the feeling the water had on my body, soothing, relaxing and calming.

A knocking on the door bolted me awake, and it took some time to realize where I was. I had fallen asleep in the hot water that was not only lukewarm. "Sookie?" Eric sounded through the door.

"Yes?" I replied quickly.

"The sun is rising in a few minutes. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I died." He said again.

My heart melted a little of his confession. "I'll be right out." I said and stood from the tub. I retrieved a towel and dried myself off before I realized I had left my bag and pajamas in the bedroom. I pulled out the plug from the tub and fastened the towel around me securely before I opened the door to the bedroom nervously.

Eric was lying on the top of the bed, only wearing his boxers. I knew he usually slept in them, but I had never actually seen him like this. It made me stop and ogle him, very aware that the only thing covering me was the white towel. I heard the familiar 'click' of his fangs snapping down when I met his eyes. "I, um… forgot I had my pajamas in here." I said, trying to tear my gaze away from his body as I walked to the little bag I had packed. I stood with my back against him, and quickly dressed with the towel securely blocking his view from my body. When I turned, he hadn't taken his eyes off of me and I slowly walked towards him and the bed. I swallowed nervously before I lifted the covers and laid down, Eric mirroring me.

His hands sneaked around my waist like I was used to, but I felt the need to be even closer to him. I turned in his arms so I could face him, and looked at him. "Thanks for protecting me from Andre." I whispered, trying to ignore my lust.

"You are very welcome my bonded." He replied softly. "I won't let anything happen to you."

My hand was softly tracing his chest in circles before I sneaked it higher and around his neck. Without thinking, I pulled him closer and kissed him. It was soft and gentle, but I felt the little electricity like last time and my body cried in joy when he deepened it.

I felt his tongue probe my lips and I opened my mouth and welcomed him eagerly. He groaned and rolled me onto my back, taking control of the kiss making my toes curl. I brought my other hand around his neck and kept him tightly against me as our tongues battled for dominance. With his thousands year of practice he claimed me easily and I surrendered to him. The throbbing between my legs almost got uncomfortable but I tried to not think about it. It was hard, especially when I felt Eric suffering from his own hard _throbbing_.

I pulled back, feeling my need to breathe and I just managed to take a quick gasp before he was on me again. I moaned, loving the way his weight felt on top of me and how good he tasted. I didn't know how long we kept going only making out, but suddenly I felt something cold and sticky on my arms. I came back to reality when I realized Eric was having the bleeds. Eric pulled back from the change of my mood. I looked at him expressionless a while before I smiled, trying to catch my breath.

"You need to sleep." I said softly.

"Will you stay with me for the entire day?" He asked from above me. His eyes were warm and filled with lust and longing.

I nodded and he rolled off me, onto his own back and dragged me with him. Half lying on top of him, I rested my head on his naked perfect chest. Before I could start to worry about what tomorrow would bring, I felt asleep, happier than I could ever remember even being in a long time.


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks' to my beta Lady Doughnuts and to those who reviews! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Eric POV**

Waking up with my warm lover beside me in bed was like a dream. She was sleeping in my arms, but I smelled the human food that hadn't been there before. I turned my head and saw a tray standing on a table. She had obviously been up and had already eaten.

Odin must have heard my prayers when she had kissed me again. When she had emerged from the bathroom only wearing a towel I had wanted to rip it away and lick every inch of her body. I wasn't really able to do it, but her soft lips on mine were more than good enough, and more that I could hope for. I had died a very happy vampire.

I hoped Sookie would be able to finish the readings on the Queen's humans tonight so we could go home, but knew that was really not possible. Not with the Queen's determination to keep us here. Andre's action wasn't really surprising yesterday. I knew I needed to keep an extra eye on my lover. If he got a chance to get near her, I knew he would take it without hesitation.

I stroked my little telepath's back and checked the bond with Pam and Timmie. Timmie was amused and Pam was annoyed. I felt they were close together and wondered what they were doing. The most important thing was that they both were safe.

My lover stirred in my arms and I looked down just to catch her eyes open. "Morning." I said gently.

"Hey." She said softly.

I couldn't resist and leaned down to kiss her softly. "Are you ready for today?" I said after forcing myself to pull back.

"Yeah." She said and smiled a little before she leaned in and kissed me back. I pulled her tighter against me, never wanting this moment to end. To my displeasure, it had to and I reluctantly let her go and stood from the bed. Sookie followed me into the bathroom and fixed her hair and applied the little make-up she used as I washed my face in the sink.

I got dressed in the bedroom before I placed my lover's bag beside her in the bathroom so she could get dressed in private. I sat in the bedroom chair wile I waited for her to finish.

"You know, Andre has assaulted almost every one of the people that I read yesterday." I heard her say from inside of the bathroom as she dressed.

"Andre is a disgusting abomination who enjoys his vampire life too much." I said tartly.

She emerged from the bathroom in a tight black pencil skirt, high heels and a shirt. My fangs itched but I kept them away and stood from the chair. "He is disgusting." She said angrily.

I smirked, enjoying the angry spark in her eyes. I cupped her face in my palms and kissed the tip of her nose before I got serious. "Sookie, I want to know what you think about me feeding from you again before the Queen. I can accept one of the Queens donors if you don't want to."

She looked down, and I noticed she had closed her bond again. "I don't want you to feed on someone else." She said softly and looked up to meet my eyes again. "If you just do what you did yesterday I'll be fine." She added and blushed.

I nodded and kissed her again before I took her hand and walked outside. Following the hallways and stairs back to the Queen's throne room, we found the Queen already there with her pet in her lap. "Northman, everything was okay in the room I presume?" She said a little sharply.

I knew she wasn't pleased that I had found her bugs, but if she thought she was going to con me she was wrong. She was smart to not say anything other in the matter. "Have you fed? I was thinking of heading out tonight." She said and turned her attention back to her pet.

"With all due respect, but I am eager to get my bonded to finish the readings as fast as possible." I said, taking an unnecessary breath, feeling the oxygen burning inside my lungs, calming me.

The Queen glared at us in displeasure before she sighed. "Fine. We will continue." She stood from her throne and to my irritation brought her pet when she walked towards the meeting room. It would make the readings more difficult for my lover with another brain she needed to block out, but at least Andre were nowhere in sight.

There were only two chairs in the room that was meant for me and my Queen (since our _pets _would sit in our lap – or in the Queen's way, on the floor at her feet.). I moved the chair that was meant for me around the table and beside the one of the humans Sookie would read. "Sit." I commanded my lover who had stood still and watched me. "Yes, Master." She said, but when her back was against the Queen, she narrowed her eyes slightly at me. I wanted to smile when I saw the glint in her eyes, but kept it at bay.

"Do I have the permission to continue like yesterday?" Sookie asked more to the Queen, but she looked at me. I looked at the Queen who smiled a little, but nodded to me. "Yes." I said in answer to my _"pet", _proud that she still acted so well and remembered to keep her place.

The first human entered the room with the guard from yesterday. Sookie was stunning as she asked her questions and dug into the human's brains. The Queen sat quietly and questioned her every time she deemed her finished on what the human had thought. As the hours went by, I could see my telepath getting more tired. She had managed to find three more spies from the Fellowship, two regular vampire haters and one male that tried to steal her money.

I didn't say anything, wanting my lover to continue as long as possible. The hours were sneaking away and I realized that we wouldn't be able to leave tonight either. It was two hours before sunrise when the Queen had had enough. "Let's finish for tonight, shall we?"

My lover didn't even say anything when I supported her out of the chair. When the Queen didn't protest when I asked for permission to retreat to our room for the night, I got suspicious. She hadn't insisted on keeping my lover from reading her humans either. Something wasn't quite right.

"Are you okay?" I asked Sookie as I closed the bedroom door behind us. I took a deep breath, smelling if someone had been in the room while we had been gone. Not to my very surprise, Andre's scent was heavy in the air.

"I'm fine, just mentally exhausted." My lover answered and slumped down on the bed.

**Sookie POV**

I watched as Eric found a device and started sweeping the room again. I wasn't overly surprised when he found six new bugs and crushed them in his hand before he swept the room one more time, just to be sure.

"Do you think we will be able to go home tomorrow?" I asked him.

"With how many humans you read today I hope so." He smiled softly and came to sit beside where I lay on the bed. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?" He asked suddenly.

I blushed slightly and nodded my head.

"Turn around." He said softly and pushed me slightly as I did what he said. I wondered what he was doing when he gently took off my heels, but moaned instantly as his hand started to rub them. I had barely walked tonight, but having my feet squeezed into the shoes Pam had selected for me hurt anyway.

He kneaded them gently before he continued up to my ankles and calf pleat. "Oh my god…" I muttered to myself and silently thanked God for his perfect hands. I tensed slightly when he pushed my skirt upwards, but he didn't push it any further than mid-thigh.

When he moved up to my back I was in a blissful daze. "Can I take it off?" I heard him say from behind me and felt a tug on my shirt. I nodded into the pillow and stretched out my arms. He chuckled at my attempt to help getting it off (that didn't go too well) but got the shirt off eventually. When his fingers rubbed my lower back I couldn't help but moan again. One thing was for sure; if Eric applied for work at Pam's spa he would get the job as a masseuse on the spot. I smiled slightly amused at the thought of Eric in one of those nice uniforms the women in the spa wore.

"Can I take it off?" Eric asked again, this time tugging at my bra. I hesitated, not knowing if it was a good idea or not. Of course it wasn't. Lying on a bed only wearing a skirt and panties with Eric Northman would never be a good idea. "Okay." I said.

I held my breath when his fingers traced my shoulders to push down the straps. When he moved his fingers to the back and opened it, I felt his lips on me, right on the spot where the hook had been. I squirmed slightly and stretched my arms again so he could pull it off completely. I let out the breath I was holding when I settled back in the comfortable position on the pillow while he started to rub my upper back.

I moaned in delight as he rubbed the tension out of my shoulders and neck with perfect pressure. I wondered how he had managed to learn this skill. "Good?" Eric said when he deemed himself finished and plopped down on the bed beside me. "Fantastic." I said, smiling at him. "Thank you."

"You are very much welcome." He said and traced my back with one finger, making goosebumps erupt on my skin. He rolled off the bed and undressed down to his boxers before he slid in beside me again. "The sun is rising." He muttered into my hair. I closed my eyes and smelled him, leaning closer.

I was still lying on my stomach when he hugged me tight with one arm around my back and snuggled against me. I knew I should get up to get my pajamas but I didn't want to move from the warmth and security Eric provided for even as second. He peppered my neck with soft kisses before I felt his buzz weaken as he died. I sighed, a little disappointed that nothing had happened at the same time as I felt relieved. I turned to wiggle off the skirt I was still wearing, threw it somewhere in the room and settled back under the covers with Eric. I was only wearing panties, with made my whole body feel his naked skin.

Almost in sync, I moved backwards when he gripped me tighter into his body. I wondered if he could sense the difference or smell how damp I was between my legs in his daytime rest. I fell into a restless sleep with Eric as the star of my dreams. That was until I snapped my eyes up. Someone was knocking on the door.

I turned on the lamp beside the bed so I could find the bathrobe that was lying around somewhere as I checked who it was outside with my mind. I found Hadley and two other hazy brains who could only be shifters or weres.

I found the robe and tied it securely around myself before I headed to the door. Hadley didn't seem any different by her thoughts, but I wondered what the two weres was doing with her. "Hey, Hadley." I said opening the door, glancing at the two men suspiciously and tried to enter their mind.

"God morning!" She shined back. "Since you have been so busy these nights, I figured we could go out shopping or something together?"

I was so busy trying to get use of what I picked up from the weres brains (glimpses of something dark, a basement perhaps) that I didn't catch what Hadley had asked me. "What?"

"You know, go out? Get some sun and shopping? I have missed you" She said, smiling.

"Oh…" I said and shifted uncomfortable. "I would love too, but I am so tired from working and reading minds all night that I need to relax my mind. I'm sorry." I said and acted sad. It wasn't a completely lie, but I didn't want to leave Eric in the room alone where anyone could enter and stake him.

"Please, Sookie? Sophie said it was okay, you aren't even supposed to read anyone tonight." She said and looked sad.

I frowned. "She said that?"

"Yes, didn't you do the rest last night?" Hadley frowned as well.

"I am very certain that I didn't read everyone last night." I confirmed.

"That was weird." Hadley said, but then shrugged. "But are you coming? I really miss spending time with you!"

"I miss spending time with you too, Hadley, but I can't. I am exhausted and I need more sleep." And I didn't want to leave Eric.

"You need to go. The Queen orders." One of the two men suddenly spoke and I snapped my head to look at him. What the fuck was going on? The flashes of a dark basement continued to appear in both of their minds, making me even more confused.

"I am sorry, but I need to decline. If I am going to do a good job for the Queen tonight, I need my rest." I protested, warily.

"You are not required to work tonight." The other man said.

I directed my gaze to Hadley. "I am sorry." I said and closed the door. Before I could close it however, a hand appeared and held it open. I stared widely at the were that was hindering me from shutting the door. "I'll take you back." The other said to Hadley and grabbed her arm, dragging her away.

"Get the hell away." I said to the remaining man and pushed at the door a little harder. He didn't give in, only smiling lightly. "Why don't you just let me in, sweetheart?"

"I am sorry, come back when the sun is down." I snapped and pushed on the door again. It didn't do much, and the man didn't exactly have to push hard himself, for me to get shoved away. He came in, smug as ever and closed the door behind him making me gasp. He had a wooden stick fastened to his belt and I kind of got a hint of why he was here. I moved quickly to the side, standing between him and the bed where Eric lay. "You get out of here or I swear youwill regret it." I said angry.

"I am looking forward to see what you got, little telepath. What are you goanna do, read my mind?" he teased.

He didn't know his teasing was only fueling the fire within me. I felt the same warming feeling that I did when I used my light. I raised my hand and sent a blast in his chest. He stumbled back a few steps, but it was not nearly strong enough to throw him across the room like it used to do with people I shot. The were looked shocked and a little frightened before he snarled like an animal and launched himself towards me.

I threw my hands up again and shot him a second time, getting the same effect. I frowned and looked at my hands. They were glowing like normal, but the light seemed so weak, whatever I did. "What kind of freak are you?" He hissed and came forward again. I shot him for the third time and glared at him. "You probably should have figured that out before you threatened me and what is mine."

I was stunned by what I had said, but didn't have time to dwell on it when the were attacked again. He roared and ducked my fourth light before he shoved me into the floor. I screamed in surprise and tried to get up with no avail when his weight settled on my body. I buckled hard, trying to get him off, before I used my hands to hit him wherever I could reach. When it didn't work, I channeled my light again to throw him off. "Oh no you will not." He hissed again and caught my wrists before he placed them over my head and held them hard, angling my palms away from him.

"Get your nasty body away from me!" I shouted and bucked again.

"Continue that way and I'll let you feel me even closer." He said and I stilled afraid, knowing that he didn't need to strain himself in order to get me undressed, seeing me only wearing the bathrobe and panties. I begged for Eric to wake up, but it was still day and he was dead. I channeled more of my light trying to wiggle free so I could aim at him, but he pushed my wrist in a more painful way. I whimpered, tears gathering in my eyes, thinking my wrist were going to break any minute. "That's right. Just lie still and let me do my job so the Queen will be happy." He smiled.

I lay still, figuring he would need to let go of me to stake Eric, giving me a chance to shoot him again. What I didn't expect though, was him leaning down. He closed in on my lips and I shut my eyes and angled my head away. One of his big hands held on to both of my wrist, while another hand closed around my jaw and forced me to look straight forward again. His stinky hot breath made my stomach turn before the weight on my body suddenly was gone along with the hand around my jaw, his foul breath and the hand keeping my wrists was gone. I opened my eyes to see a swaying Eric stand above me with his fangs buried in the weres neck.

"I said you would regret it." I said to him as he struggled against the vampires hold. I rose slowly from the floor and touched my jaw, flinching slightly of the pain. Eric stared at me with half lidded eyes but kept sucking the life out of the were.

I walked over to the bedroom door, locking it before I returned to the bed. I hoped the other were who had followed Hadley back wouldn't return, but I didn't bother now that Eric was awake. I watched the were lose his conscious before Eric stopped feeding and unlocked the door, opened it to shove him outside before he locked the door again and turned to me. "Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "Did you drain him?"

"No. He will wake in a few hours perhaps." He said and came forwards. "What happened?"

"He forced himself in here… I tried to shoot him, but you saw how that ended…" I said sadly. The light had always helped me before! I didn't know why it suddenly was so weak.

"I felt your pain." He said softly and slid into the bed beside me, lying on his side and traced my jaw. I flinched again and drew back.

"Thank you for your help." I said and cuddled into his chest.

"It is why I am here." He shrugged and hugged me.

I lay silent for some time before I realized I had forgotten something important. "Eric, the Queen had said to him, and to Hadley, that I wasn't going to read more people, that I had finished everyone yesterday."

Eric stiffened slightly. "He was here to stake me so the Queen could claim you for herself."

I pulled back slightly so I could look at him. He had just said what had swirled in my mind. "I believe that too. What do we do now?"

Eric leaned down and kissed me softly. "We pretend like nothing has happened. Keep your eyes and mind open and we'll just try to get home"

"Okay." I agreed and kissed him again. "You need to go back to sleep."

"I'm fine." He said and looked at me. "I want you to take my blood. You are hurt."

"Eric, I'm fine." I protested slightly.

He didn't bother to listen to me and dropped his fangs. My pulse quickened and I panicked slightly. I knew Eric as good as loved me, but I was still a little unsure of my own love towards him. Was taking more of his blood a good idea? The throbbing pain in my wrists and jaw decided for me and I closed my lips around Eric's wrist when he bit down and offered it to me.

I pulled on the wound, electing a deep growl from Eric which spurred on the heat and lust that bubbled inside of me. I pressed myself closer against him until he pushed me back and settled half way on top of me. The pain in my face and wrists dissapeared immediately and the heat took over, noticeable between my legs especially when Eric dipped his head to my neck, kissing and nipping.

I sucked harder on Eric's wrist, taking him into me, loving the sweet taste and power that filled me. The wounds closed fast and I released his wrist and gasped for breath. I sneaked my arms around his neck and dragged him fully on top of me. He growled again before he pulled back from my neck and claimed my lips. I widened my legs, making room for him to settle between them. His _weapon_ rested on the perfect spot between us, making me moan into his mouth when he moved a little, grinding slightly against me.

A hand sneaked its way inside of my robe to my naked skin inside. His wide naked chest lifted from my body a little, making it easier for his hands to roam the insides of my robe. I whimpered when he reached my one breast and arched up into his hand. "Sookie?" Eric groaned questionably into my mouth and grinded into me again while kissing my neck.

I answered by gripping him tighter against me, scraping my nails into his back and hooking my legs around his hips. It was obviously answer enough for Eric, as he sat back on his heels, dragged me along which made me straddle his lap. Our lips met passionately again and he tore the bathrobe that was still covering me into pieces. He held his hands on my lower back and moved them upwards while he stared at me. "You are so beautiful." He said before he started peppering my neck with kisses again.

I was clinging to him when he moved us again, back in the previous position we had been in. His lips traveled from my neck to my collarbone before he got closer to my breasts. I was moaning when he finally reached them and sucked one nipple lightly into his mouth while his other hand massaged the other.

I arched my back and dragged my hand across his back, feeling his smooth skin and muscles working above me. I was in heaven, not knowing why I had denied myself for so long. I never wanted this to end. I never wanted to think of any of the troubles I was in. I never wanted Eric to leave my side. I let my hand drift up to his neck and used my nails again to scrape his skin lightly as I continued into his hair.

I suddenly frowned, feeling something sticky on my forearms. I looked down, and through my lust-clouded eyes I saw blood. "Eric." I gasped. He didn't stop, didn't listen and I pushed him slightly away coming back down to earth.

"Eric." I said again firmly and he met my eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked and looked confused and a little worried.

"You are bleeding." I stated and traced his ears that were dripping small drops of blood.

"I don't care." He said and leaned down, capturing my lips. I closed my eyes and enjoyed his toe-curling kiss before I pushed him back again. "But I do. You need to sleep. We need our strength. You especially." I said and knew I was right.

He sighed and looked sad. "You're right."

I pulled him down for another kiss, trying to show him that I wasn't denying us just because I was afraid or regretted what we just did. He rolled off of me and cradled me in his arms. I turned around so my back was against him as he spooned me. His arm sneaked around my waist as usual, but this time it didn't stay at my stomach. It found my breasts and switched feeling them. "Eric." I said serious, though I was amused.

I felt him opening his end at the bond slightly and felt his own amusement, before his hand settled on one of my girls. He squeezed it gentle before kissing my neck and snuggled even closer. We lay in silence for a while and I would think he had died hadn't it been for the still amused buzz that was coming from his still alive end of the bond. "Do you think Pam will be mad?" He asked me suddenly.

I couldn't help to hide the wide smile that spread on my lips. "Definitely."


	30. Chapter 30

**Beta'd by my beta Lady Doughnuts! **

**A special thanks to all of you who reviews! You are the reason for my good writing-mood and the fast updates! Hope you like this chapter..**

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**Eric POV**

I woke to the most amazing smell and sweetest, softest feeling skin in my hands. I inhaled deeply, taking in every aroma of my lover before I opened my eyes. From her slow heartbeat and even breathing I knew she was still asleep. Seeing her as she lay beside me I wondered how I even managed to keep myself from fucking her earlier today. She was only wearing her small panties and was snuggled into my own body, giving me warmth.

Her perfect breasts were crying out for me to touch them and I complied, of course. They fitted perfectly in my hands, like they were made just for me. I squeezed a little before I massaged them gently. A little moan escaped from my lovers' lips and she shifted slightly where she lay.

Bending down above her, I pulled one of her nipples into my mouth like earlier and sucked lightly. I had to press myself down into the mattress so I wouldn't go crazy from lust and lose my control. I grinned when my lover moaned again and I switched breasts, giving the other nipple the same treatment. "Eric." Sookie mumbled unconsciously. Her breathing quickened and I knew it was only matter of seconds until she would wake. Letting my hands wander over her body, I released her nipple and kissed her softly on her jaw where she had been hurt.

I continued to her cheek, then the other, her forehead, both of her eyes and eventually on her lips. She stirred underneath me and fluttered her eyes open. Her eyes had the same color the sky had when the sun was brightening it. I smiled. "Good evening, my lover." I said and kissed her softly again.

She blushed slightly, but smiled back. "Hey."

"Do you know how perfect you are?" I questioned her, meaning fully what I said.

She blushed harder, making me smile at the lovely colour before shaking her head in reply. I chuckled before I bent down and kissed the tip of her nose before I rolled off her, and out of the bed. "Come on, my bonded. We need to make ourselves presentable for the Queen." I said, wiggling my eyebrows as I found some clothes.

"Yes, Master." She surprised me by answering before she stood from the bed, showing me her almost naked body. I growled and 'vamped' in front of her. "Are you teasing me, my bonded?"

"No." She said quickly and to my amazement blushed even more. I closed my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Her breasts pressed against my naked chest and I wished I could have glued her to me (literally) so I could have felt her this way forever.

"I don't know if the Queen will try something tonight or not. She obviously thought she would succeed with that stupid and petty plan of hers, but if she will try again or wait to make a better plan I don't know. Let's hope on the last part so we can be better prepared." And by prepared I meant have the backup I had planned for when we would take her out next month.

"I wished we could just leave and go away forever on an eternal vacation leaving all trouble behind." My lover muttered into my chest.

I stiffened slightly. "Eternal vacation?" Was she actually saying that meaning she would stay with me as a vampire forever, or did she mean by dying the true death?

"Yeah... It doesn't matter now… Let's just focus on tonight first." She said and pulled out of my arms. She walked towards the bathroom, taking her clothes with her. I clenched my fist, trying to stay in control and not follow her and ravish her like my body tried to get me to do.

I mulled over what she had said when I dressed but didn't dare to hope that she meant it by becoming a vampire. Besides, to have her for myself as mine, have her trust, love and heart, with her approval and wish to get turned, for me to be her maker and have her forever by my side would be the greatest gift she could ever grant me.

The clicking from her shoes signaled that she was finished in the bathroom. She emerged, wearing a light blue shirt and modern dress pants. She stopped and turned around for me to look at her. I knew it was the clothes Pam had forced on her, but I couldn't be happier with my child. Sookie looked stunning, and I told her so.

The were I had left outside of our door was gone when I opened the bedroom door, my lover in hand. We walked directly to the Queen's Throne room, where we were met with Andre, who was torturing Compton. I felt my bonded tensing beside me and she closed her end of the bond. She eventually opened it up to me, and I sent her strength and reassurance through it. This night was too important for her to get emotional or show any signs of weakness. For me, I envied Andre a little, regretting all of the chances I could have dealt with Compton. I did have a little fun with him together with Pam though, but since it was Compton, I would gladly take him into my care and continue with the fun.

The Queen had her little pet in her lap again. She didn't show any signs of the failed attempt to procure my lover earlier. "Sheriff, I trust that you slept well?"

"Of course you Majesty, better than ever." I said seriously. I couldn't help it.

She smiled, but as young and stupid as she was, the angry fire in her eyes gleamed. "Your _pet_ didn't want to go shopping with my Hadley today. I am most disappointed." She said and petted her pet's head.

I raised my eyebrows. "My apologies, had I known you wanted company for your pet I would have ordered my bonded to go with her, of course."

The Queen clenched her jaw tight and shot daggers at me. "I will think of a way you can make it up to me. "

I nodded. "If I am right, you had no more humans for my bonded to read?"

"That is correct." The Queen surprised me by saying. "But I want her to read my weres."

"She cannot read weres, your majesty. Only humans." I said, tired of her denseness. I wanted to go home and she was only stalling, grasping straws to get us to stay longer.

"I believe differently." She Queen said and dropped her small fangs halfway down in anger.

I paused to let Compton's loud moans of pain stop before I spoke again. "With all due respect, your beliefs are wrong. My bonded cannot get enough information to know if they are speaking the truth or lies." Okay, I was lying but I didn't fucking care. In addition to my lovers tense and disgusted feelings (probably because Andre was abusing Bill only a few meters away) to my own impatience and annoyance I needed to fight to keep my control again.

The Queen sat in silence for a little while and I knew she was thinking about her options. "I want to speak in private with your _pet._" She sneered eventually.

I boiled with anger, but knew I couldn't deny her. Sookie opening her bond wider reassuring and calming me slightly, so I nodded. The Queen didn't care that her own pet fell down onto the ground when she quickly stood from her throne. "Come." She said to Sookie, who obeyed and followed her into another room. I kept close tabs on the bond, prepared to burst in and protect my lover if needed to.

The smell of semen hung in the air when Andre finished and pushed Bill to the ground before adding more silver to his already heavy burned body. I strolled over and met Bill's eyes. I couldn't help but smirk, seeing him like this. "I had almost forgotten to thank you, for the lovely present you gave me when you screwed up with Sookie. I wouldn't have found her if it wasn't for you." I leered and he glared back. He was trying to say something but only stuttered in pain and hissed. He didn't even manage to snap his fangs out. "You should know that you are lucky to be punished by Andre. I would have made it much worse for you, like you deserve. Or maybe you should have wished for me to be in charge, because then you would have already met your true death."

Bill only hissed more while Andre chuckled. "Don't worry, Northman. We haven't gotten to his main punishment yet. This is just the warm-up." Bills eyes flickered between us showing fright. I nodded in agreement (what I never thought I would ever do) to Andre's words.

"I am sorry you didn't die tonight." Andre continued and I narrowed my eyes slightly. "It would have been fun to take her in front of Compton here."

Andre wasn't a smart vampire, admitting his and the Queens plans to kill me (not that I didn't know already, but still.). Taking Sookie in front of Bill _would_ have been most satisfying, but I knew that was never going to happen. I also knew Andre wouldn't get near my lover as long as I existed to protect her. I decided not to answer him, and concentrated on my lover again. It didn't take long before she came back. Her relaxed, calm face and the anger in the Queens settled my nerves. If the Queen wasn't happy, I was.

**Sookie POV**

I followed the Queen into the same room we had talked last time I was here. I was quiet as I sat down in the opposite couch from her, a little nausea from Andre's doings with Bill. I felt _really _bad for him now, no one deserved to get burned or raped like that, no matter what they did.

"You have changed." The Queen stated and looked at me with critical eyes.

Did she expect an answer? I sat silent and waited for her to continue.

"You are in love, aren't you?" She raised her eyebrow and smirked slightly. When I didn't answer, she pouted again. "Aw, come on, you can tell me."

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I said a little sharply, getting to the point.

"I just wanted to let you know that my offer still stands. Your cousin misses you very much and I know she would be happy if you'd stayed here." She said, smiling.

"I am sorry, but I don't want to be parted from my Master." I answered quickly.

"Yes, the bond is clouding your decision I know… Tell me, had he gotten into your pants yet? He has a little reputation, but you probably know that already." She snickered a little. I wanted more than anything to just slap her silly. If she thought _this _would make me stay, she was very wrong. Besides, Eric hadn't lived up to his reputation for a long while now, if my information was correct and something told me that it was.

"Was that all you had to say?" I asked impatiently. She was only stalling, something I _really _wasn't in the mood for.

"Why the rush?" She said, like she didn't already know. I narrowed my eyes slightly before I couldn't hold back anymore. "Because I would like to leave before another were comes and try to stake my bonded and threaten to rape me."

Evil glimmered in her eyes and she looked very much guilty before she plastered that fake smile on her face, pretending like nothing was wrong. "I am sorry I don't know what you are talking about."

"The were that forced himself into our room earlier today on your orders?" I questioned, knowing I was treading on very thin ice. I didn't know how much I could push her, but was confident that Eric would rescue me if she snapped and attacked me. If she didn't decide to break my neck before Eric could even get a chance to feel my fright, of course.

She sat silent for a few seconds before she pulled herself together and acted fake again. "I have not given any of my employees such orders. I think you might have been dreaming." She smiled lightly and stood from the couch.

She walked slowly around the room like the important Queen that she was. "I want to make our contract more secure. I know people are watching us, _you, _and are planning to steal you away from me. I want to create a blood oath between us."

I frowned, hearing by the sound of the name "blood oath" that it was bad. "What is it?" I asked.

"The oath binds us together, not like a regular blood bond, but what we swear, we must do. I want you to swear that you will do everything that is written in our contract." She walked to a desk and pulled out the contract between her and Eric. "With that blood oath, no one can take you from me. If they do, and you don't show up every month like you have sworn, you die. Nothing can break it."

I gulped slightly. "Okay, but I won't do anything without my Master telling me to."

"This is between you and me, we don't need his approval. It is about your safety." She said and came closer to me.

Yeah, like I hadn't heard that before… I smiled, trying to ease the tension in the room and relax. "I won't swear anything without my Masters presence."

The Queen snapped her fangs down in anger, before her features smoothed over. "As you Queen I can order you to do this. I want a blood oath to ensure you to me and to ensure your safety."

I stood from the couch now, forcing down the little alarm in the back of my head and stayed calm. "I am perfectly safe with my Master. I am his bonded and you are his Queen. If you want something from me, it needs to go through him." I said and turned around quickly and exited the room before she could say anything more. I knew it was risky, but luckily for me, she didn't try to do anything. I had always hated the power and control both Bill and Eric had tried to hold over me in the past, but now I was actually glad to have Eric I could shove everything on so he could deal with it.

My eyes landed on him immediately and instantly smiled. He looked me over for injuries and pulled me into his arms when I was close enough. The bond felt warm between us when he held me, and I knew by heart that it was love I was feeling.

Pulling out of his arms again I turned to the Queen who didn't even hide her anger anymore. "Leave." She snapped and everything became blurry when Eric picked me up and used his vampire speed to the elevator that would take us down in the garage to the car. He didn't put me down, and kept holding me bridal style when the elevator brought us down, and eventually placed me carefully in his red shiny car.

I knew by now that I needed to keep my mouth shut until he could sweep the car for bugs. Knowing the Queen tactics by now, it was probably a few bugs and a gps devices and such. Eric didn't waste his time getting out of the garage and drive far too fast towards home. We didn't speak the whole way, but he held my little hand in his large and kissed it a few times for good measure. When we closed in on Shreveport he didn't take the turn that I knew led to home.

"Where are we going?" I asked him confused.

"It is a surprise." He said and winked at me.

Okay, what was he up to now? We drove a few minutes in silence before Eric pulled into a deserted parking lot. "Come on." He said and stepped out of the car. I did what he said, still confused.

I stood by the car when Eric suddenly appeared before me. "What are we doing?" I half smiled, half frowned by his sneakiness. Of course he only smirked that sexy smirk of his before he stepped closer, removing the space between us. Looking at him in wonder I felt heath bubbling to the surface when he enveloped me in his arms and kissed me. My chest clenched tightly with excitement and I forgot all about my confusion and sneaked my arms around his shoulders. It felt like I was levitating, something I realized I literary was.

"Eric!" I gasped and held him tighter not to fall down.

"Relax Sookie, I won't drop you" He chuckled.

"I don't like heights, Eric." I said and looked down. He hadn't lifted us far from the ground, but it still was scary.

"You are perfectly safe. We need to leave the car so we don't lead the Queen to us." He explained. I nodded in understanding but still wasn't to certain about this.

"You are pale." He said suddenly.

I just stared at him for a little while before I smiled weakly and looked away sad. "Yeah, I haven't seen the sun for a while."

"I regret my neglect of you. I brought you back to me against your will and I left you alone to rot in the awful apartment. For the rest of my existence I will try to make it up to you as best as I can." He said, showing his vulnerability.

"You saved me, Eric. I am not saying that I don't miss home, and that everything is fine now. I wished everything could have been different. But there is nothing we can do about it, and I don't regret being here with you now. So let's just forget the past for now and just pretend that nothing bad has ever happened." I said serious and hoped he would agree.

He did by kissing me softly, lovingly and again I didn't notice we were moving before the wind increased. "Just hold on, we will be there soon."

"Has this something to do with how Timmie was when she got her _instructions _from Pam on what to do while we were gone?" I asked suddenly.

"Yes." Eric said and smiled secretly. "No more questions, you are ruining the surprise."

I huffed in irritation, but was still amused and excited for where we were going. When we landed in front of a big white house/villa in the middle of the forest, I was only gaping. It looked freshly painted, with large windows all over and beautiful trees and flowers surrounding it. "It is my summerhouse. My favorite house of all the safe houses..." Eric said and surveyed the house calmly.

"It's beautiful!" I breathed. "Where are we?" I wondered, no idea of where we actually was.

"We are right about between Shreveport and Alexandria. The house is protected by a spell, only those who have had my blood can see it. It is the safest place for us." Eric explained and grabbed my hand, leading me up the cobblestone path to the front door.

I frowned. "But if it is so safe, why have we stayed at places that were less secure?"

"They are less secure, but still secure. I just wanted to move us here for your sake." He said and stopped before the front door to look at me.

"Why?" I asked dumb.

"Because the previous one was not good enough for you. I think and hope that you will like this better." He smiled, but I could see his eyes were hopeful but nervous. I loved how he showed me more of his emotions like that. I knew very well that he could easily mask them if he wanted to.

"The last one was fine, but I appreciate your thoughtfulness." I reassured him.

He smirked. "You haven't seen the inside yet. It will make the last one look a little less than fine, bonded." He turned and opened the door, but before he entered, he stopped and looked at me. "I have to warn you. There is a gym here as well." I groaned, making Eric chuckle before he dragged me inside.

The first thing that hit me was how light everything was. The floor was light brown/beige parquet. The walls were white with window reaching from the ceiling to floor that was about four meters wide. "Wow." I breathed again. Through the first archway to the right, we entered the kitchen. It was large, clean and in the same light colors. The worktops were in silver together with the other household appliances. "This is so beautiful!" I exclaimed.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Eric sighed and dragged me out of the kitchen and into the opposite room. A sitting room with couches in bright beige, a fireplace in white marble, some flowers (to my surprise) and a few other things were placed there. The windows had curtains in the same beige like the couches but was letting the moons light fill the room in a magical light. I was only gaping when Eric dragged me with him again. Down the hall, and into a larger and wider hall where two set of stairs was placed on each side of the room, but met in the middle where they led upstairs. Eric however dragged me along, not giving me time to look at the chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling.

"This is my office." Eric said and opened the door. This room was quite different from the previous rooms, with more masculinity showing in it. The large desk was in dark chestnut color and a large black chair was behind it. It was the typical computers, two couches, bookshelves and other stuff that belonged in an office. The only thing was that everything seemed larger than normal... It fitted Eric perfectly!

"And in here…" Eric continued when he thought I had had enough time to look around. "Is our hobby room." He said and entered. It was a large room with one large mirror covering the whole opposite wall. On the other, a bunch of hand weapons were hanging. Swords, knives, daggers and a lot of stuff I didn't even know what was, even imagine how to use. "When we're not out in the forest we have a little fun in here. I learn both Pam and Timmie how to fight with any possible equipment.

"Will you teach me?" I asked, half joking and half serious.

"I would love to see and teach you to be able to handle any kind of weapon." Eric said smirking.

I felt heat prickling over my skin as a blush spread through my cheeks but smiled anyway. "What's in there?" I asked, distracting myself and got Eric to stop looking at me like he did. He pulled at my arm again and we entered through the archway that was in the left wall. "Timmie's and now yours workout room." Eric smiled.

I looked at the familiar sight of the running machines and all the other machines. "Great." I muttered unenthusiastically. It was me who dragged Eric back to the mirror room and out completely, leaving the thought of workout behind me. "Let's move on, I'll get exhausted only by looking at it" I said dryly, making Eric chuckle again.

We followed the hall a little further down before we entered the library. It was a lot of large shelves and I found I missed my job in Sunnew. In the middle, there was a sitting group of couches that looked very inviting and comfortable. I knew where I was going to relax and read my book from now on. Across the hall was a large bathroom. The entire inventor was white except for the walls, towels, rugs and shower curtain that were in colors. The wall was brown and the rest was beige, making it look really stylish. Thoughts about how we could share the shower or bathtub drifted past my mind, and I grabbed him and dragged him out again before I could think more of it and embarrass myself.

"You didn't like it?" Eric asked, looking amused like he knew what I was thinking.

"NO, I mean, yes, it was very beautiful. I want to see the rest." I said, trying to cover up.

"Is there something special you are eager to see, lover?" He smirked and led me further down the hall. I glared at him for calling me that and pushed him halfheartedly into the wall.

"That hurt." He said amused.

I only rolled my eyes and kept walking. "Yeah right…" We rounded a corner and I froze in place. A few feet away, down a few steps and straight forward was a double glass door. Through it I could see flowers, trees, and the shimmering bluish color that I knew could only come from a swimming pool. I felt Eric's hand on my lower back and we kept walking down the stairs and outside. I was gaping again by how beautiful everything looked. By the side of the pool, a few sun loungers were lined up. On the left was a house that had only three walls, the one facing the pool gone.

"This is the cabana." Eric stated the obvious and led me to it.

The walls were made of glass, but had white curtains covering them. Inside to the left was a white couch that was so wide I wondered if it really was a bed. To the right, was a white table with white chairs. Small soft pink lights were hanging from the ceiling, making everything look very sensual and magical together with the illuminating moon. "This is so perfect." I breathed and turned to face him.

I smiled a slightly. "You are welcome to use it whenever you want."

I nodded, feeling excited, already planning on waking up earlier tomorrow to spend the day here. "Is it you that keeps the garden?" I questioned him teasingly.

"If you promise to not tell, I'll tell you the truth." He said amused. I only raised my eyes and waited. He turned and walked to the flowers. "They only bloom at night... Pam usually takes care of what needs to be done with them. When using vampire speed it only takes us one minute or so to go over everything."

I was really surprised about Pam. She had a deep side under all of the other layers that were there to keep her image intact, just like Eric. She was the one taking care of me, making my dark days brighter together with Timmie, and she didn't even like me! She didn't want to admit it but she bought me the silver necklace with Timmie. She was loyal to Eric but still respected and supported me silently – something that comforted me greatly. She was a good woman, deep down inside.

"It is beautiful." I said, looking around and followed the swimming pool down to the other side to the loungers. Eric met me, coming from the other side and sneaked his arms around me. He looked so pale, but gorgeous and true. I closed the space between us and rested my head to his chest, sneaking my arms around him and hugged. I took a deep breath, smelling him before I smiled. "Thank you Eric, for everything. You didn't have to do anything for me, and yet you do, getting yourself, Pam and even Timmie in danger."

"You are welcome, my bonded. I couldn't exist without you." He murmured into my hair. I pulled back to look at him. "Do you think Timmie is in danger? Sophie-Ann asked a lot of questions about her." I said worried.

"I do believe the Queen would have enjoyed having Timmie at court. She is a rare were indeed, but for now she is more interested in you. And she won't get the chance to threaten Timmie." Eric explained.

I nodded, knowing he was talking about the plan. I was dying to know what it was, but I wouldn't push him. He said he would tell me when he was ready. "I feel bad for Bill." I confessed, remembering how he was abused by Andre.

"I know." Eric said.

I got the feeling that Eric didn't feel so sorry about it. I bet he thought Bill deserved it, but I couldn't blame him really, and I couldn't force him to think different. "I know I thought Bill deserved it, but Andre is taking it too far. Sophie got me to work for her anyways!" I argued.

"She is only trying to make you feel bad, Sookie. I think she understands that she will never have you like she really wants too, and are taking her anger out on Bill together with trying to provoke you." Eric stroked my hair softly. I knew he was right, but it didn't make it any better for Bill. I just wanted him to go away, not get punished.

"The Queen wanted to make a blood oath with me." I said suddenly, forgetting all about that.

Eric stiffened and his eyes widened slightly. Without his blood I wouldn't probably have seen it. "You didn't do it, I would have felt it."

"No, I didn't. I said she needed to ask you first, and walked out before she could do anything." I confessed.

"You were very brave but stupid, my bonded." Eric said seriously.

"Isn't that like what I usually am?" I teased, trying to ease the tension.

"It is." He smirked and leaned closer, brushing his lips against mine. "That's one reason I feel for you so much."

I smiled slightly and pressed my lips closer to his, kissing him. "Let's finish with the tour. You haven't seen the upstairs yet."

"Okay." I agreed but pouted slightly when we pulled apart from each other. We walked through the double glass doors inside, around the corner and straight forward until we came back in the wide hall with the stair leading upstairs. On the top of the stairs was another hallway.

"This is mainly where the bedrooms and bathrooms are." Eric explained and opened the first door. "This is Timmie's room."

The room was in soft, mellow orange, red and yellow colors, reminding me of a sunset. "Wow." I mouthed.

"Pam went a little crazy, trying out an African style when Timmie first came here as a kid. She stayed mostly as a tiger so Pam thought it was fitting." Eric said amused.

I smiled, thinking how adorable they were. "This is great." I said. It looked so warm and comforting!

"Like all of the bedrooms, it had an adjoining bathroom and a balcony." Eric said and pointed at the other doors. I nodded and looked around the room one last time before we headed out again and continued down the hall.

"This is Pam's." Eric said and opened the door.

I didn't know what I had expected, but wasn't overly surprised when the only thing I was met with, was pink. It was really tidy and stylish (no surprise) and a lot of brand's (_really_ not a surprise).

"In addition to the balcony and bathroom, Pam needed an extra closet of course." Eric said, still amused.

"Of course…" I smiled, laughing a little bit. "There are windows in here?" I questioned.

"They have a thin layer on the outside, blocking the sunlight automatically." Eric explained. "Huh!" I said fascinated, wondering how it could possibly work. We continued again further down the hall and were met by another glass door. It was a balcony with a dining table, chairs, a grill, Jacuzzi, and a few comfortable looking couches in the corner.

"It is really nice here, Eric." I said truthfully. He was right; I really liked this place better than the one we had stayed at before.

"I hoped you would like it." He said and took me into his arms again. "The sun is rising soon." He pressed himself closer. Feeling his body against mine emptied my mind. Then, a thought hit me. "Where are we sleeping?" He hadn't showed me his resting place.

"You want to sleep with me?" Eric smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"You know very well what I feel and want." I said blushing.

"No I don't. Only when our bond is open, which it is not, and even then I don't know why you feel like you do." Eric argued.

"I though feeling my… _want_ for you in addition to smelling it was a hint enough." I looked away to hide my blush, embarrassed. Eric however lifted my chin so he could look at me. "It is, but I still want to hear you say it." He teased.

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**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	31. Chapter 31

**Hope you will enjoy this! **

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**Sookie POV**

Having Eric devour and ravish your mouth was something I would never grow tired of. He had lifted me into his arms and carried me over to the couch on the balcony before he had seated himself, with me straddling in his lap.

The night air was chilly, but it had gotten slightly warmer and more humid when it was closing in on the sunrise. My fingers were tucked into Eric's hair, massaging and keeping him close while we kissed. Eric's hands had started roaming my back, and eventually found their way inside of my shirt. My moans and slight movements on top of him was enough approval for him to palm my breasts with his huge hands like we both wanted.

"Damn it!"

I suddenly heard a voice from the door and I pulled away from Eric. Pam and Timmie were standing there looking at us. Timmie with love and happiness and Pam with the usual mask of boredom and annoyance, but you could see the gleam in her eyes. "Now I am never going to get to touch them." She huffed bored. "Thanks for the show." She added and turned to walk inside.

I was so embarrassed that they had seen me and Eric like this. Eric didn't seem affected (no surprises there then) at all, and sat calmly, still with his hands under my shirt. I forced them away and used my fingers to calm through my hair and trying not to let my voice shake. "How long have you been standing there?" I asked Timmie.

"Just came, don't worry." She reassured me. "I just wanted to say "Hi.", and see for myself that you were safe and unharmed."

"We're fine." Eric said and tugged me closer to him, ignoring my protest.

"I can see that." Timmie grinned. "Well, good night." She said and turned, leaving us alone.

I turned back to Eric who smiled smugly. "You knew they were coming!" I accused him.

"Does it matter?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, to me it does. It is embarrassing!" I confessed. I wasn't comfortable with Pam and Timmie seeing me making out with Eric, no matter what.

"Are you embarrassed over me?" He questioned.

"No, of course not." I said, bewildered that he would think that. I guessed all of them knew I would eventually come around, so for them this was nothing new. It was just that they were intruding on our intimate _private_ time.

"What is the problem then?" Eric asked calmly, rubbing my hips softly.

"I don't know, I just don't like to have an audience." I confessed a little sadly. It was hard, I almost felt like an outcast again with my high morals and different ways to look at things.

"I understand, my little fairy." He said and stood from the couch. "We need to get inside if you don't want to see me burn."

I nodded and took his offered hand and followed him back inside. "You never answered where you sleep. Where I am going to sleep..."

"I showed you earlier." He said and raised his eyebrow.

"No you didn't. I think I would have remembered." I eyed him confused.

Eric didn't say anything else, but led me back downstairs, past his office and then the "hobby room" as he had so nicely called it, before we entered the library. I frowned, not really understanding why we were here. I looked at Eric who was staring at the ceiling. I looked at it, but it was only white and looked normal. "You can't see it?" Eric smirked.

"See what, exactly?" I questioned.

"The door to my bedroom." He said and pulled me closer and lifted me into his arms. I got that weird levitating feeling when we lifted from the ground towards the ceiling. It wasn't until we were closer to the ceiling that I saw the large squared hole in it. "Oh my God, I really didn't see this before!" I said shocked.

"The floor of my room is the same color as the library, camouflaging the hole perfectly. You don't notice it if you don't know it is there." Eric said. That was so smart! I gasped when he flew us through the hole. Like his office, everything in here was huge. Everything was in white and it looked really clean and pure, not what I had expected of Eric (not that I really did expect Eric to have a house like this at all…). I had played with the idea of him having everything in black or red silk that would fit his reputation, but no. Everything looked so perfect, so comfy and inviting.

Looking behind me, I looked through the floor and all the way down in the library. I wasn't really comfortable with heights, and I really didn't feel too good now either. "How am I ever going to get down again?" I asked suddenly.

"You won't need to go down. I am keeping you in my bed forever." Eric said and walked over to the bed before starting to undress himself.

"Very funny..." I said dryly. He probably would if he could. "You don't even need to have any security stuff to get in here!" I continued, my brain overloading with questions.

"I don't need that when no one can see the house. Only you, Pam, Timmie and Godric can see it." He said and I looked at him startled, that he would mention Godric like he was still around.

"He burned, but is not gone. I can feel him around." Eric said determined and I nodded. I knew exactly what he meant. I could still feel Gran in my heart. I knew she was looking over for me together with mom and dad.

"Are you going to tell me the secret, or do I have to guess and jump down, break my leg or neck in the process?" I teased him slightly and undressed myself. Eric stood only in his boxers, showing me his abs and perfect body before he slipped under the covers. "I have a second way out of here which you can use. In the closet is a trapdoor leading down into a hallway that ends in the hobby room."

"Okay." I said and followed him into the bed. I had skipped using pajamas after getting addicted to feeling his skin against mine.

…

I woke up disorientated, before I remembered the new house. Eric's amazing summer safe house... I stretched and rolled over to look at the huge Viking beside me. I had no idea of what time it was, the thin layers Eric had spoken about covering the windows obviously did their work. Eric was still dead though, so I hoped I could manage to get a little sun before dusk. With that in thought, I hurried out of bed and into the bathroom. Doing my business I walked into the closet and found all of my clothes on one side of the wall, where Eric's occupied the other wall.

I smiled to myself, picking out a light blue summer dress before I ran back to Eric, giving him a kiss and ran back into the closet, opening the trapdoor. A narrow stairwell took me down a few feet before it ended in a hallway. I didn't need to go far before I came to an end. I pushed at the wall in front of me, and it slid easily up. As Eric had told me, I was now looking at the "hobby room." It was kind of smart; if he ever needed a weapon he didn't need to go far from his resting place. I didn't linger there for long, and hurried out of the room and tried to remember the way back to the kitchen so I could get some food.

To my disappointment, the large windows everywhere showed me that the sun was on its way down already. I needed to get me an alarm clock! Timmie was already sitting in the kitchen when I found it. "Morning." I said and smiled.

"Hey." She smiled back and stared at me while I familiarized myself with the kitchen and most important, the coffee machine. "I just wanted to let you know that I am very happy that you are getting better, and have forgiven Eric for his actions."

I turned the coffee cup in my hand and looked at her. "I know. Me too. I am sorry if I have been a pain in the ass…"

"No you haven't. Or, well okay, yes you have but I understand you. I know it has been really tough for you. I don't blame you at all, and I am just happy that you are alive again." Timmie reassured me. Her raven black hair shining in the twilight that was now outside.

"Thanks." I smiled.

"So how was the Queen?" She asked as I started to make us something to eat.

"She was just annoying and unnecessary." I said and explained everything that had happened. To my pleasure, she pitied Bill like I did even though the Queen rightfully could do anything she wanted with him.

"Well, I am going out for a run before Pam wakes up and skins me alive." Timmie said and stretched.

"What did you do?" I asked her amused.

"Oh, nothing bad... Just stay away from her tonight." She winked and disappeared.

I wondered what she had done, but didn't get time to dwell on it before I felt Eric's 'hum' appear in my brain. He was awake. I had just gotten the plates and coffee cups in the washer before I felt his presence right behind me.

"I really do think I should chain you to my bed, bonded. Waking up with you gone was cold and awful" Eric said, his deep voice whispered in my ear while his chest connected with my back. I shivered, wanting him to just do it if he promised to not leave me there.

"Hey." I said and leaned back to feel him better.

He leaned down and kissed my neck softly before I got inpatient and turned in his arms so I could claim his lips with mine. The heat, lust and desire were flaring inside of me and Eric deepened the kiss immediately. His kiss was making me dizzy, so I sneaked my arms around his neck to get more support. Eric got my drift and grabbed my hips, lifting me to sit on the counter. I opened my legs so he could stand closer, his girth pressing against me in a painfully delicious way. I was so tired of waiting and denying myself the pleasure I knew he could give me. If he was anything like the dreams I had had, I knew he was amazing.

**Eric POV**

I was dying to feel her, get inside her, ending the everlasting pain that was my huge set of blue balls. Bringing her to my summerhouse had been a good decision, making her happier. After our talk before we left for the Queen, she had eased up, giving in to the desire we both felt and granted me with little tastes of her body. Even though I knew we couldn't possibly get far last night on the balcony, Pam's and Timmie's appearance was still annoying. All I wanted was some time for ourselves so I could love her body the way I wanted to, and I knew she wanted me to do.

I massaged her hips while I pressed myself slightly onto her, trying to get some friction. When her little hands ran down my chest and started to button my shirt up, I was done. I didn't want for this to continue in the kitchen and lifted her into my arms, intentionally to bring her back to my bedroom, with all thoughts of getting to Fangtasia from earlier gone. That was until I felt Pam's anger, coming fast towards us. Regrettably I pulled myself away from my lover's lips. "Pam." I managed to say before she was standing right beside us, making Sookie jump slightly in my arms. She was breathing heavily and her scent of arousal was thick in the air. Pam didn't seem to care in this moment though.

"You need to do something about that fucking tiger." She snarled, completely ignoring the telepath in my arms and what we was about to do.

"What did she do now?" I questioned irritated myself, but only because of her cock blocking.

"She is driving me insane. Not only has she turned Nancy against me, but she did it with Bella, Janice _and _Caroline!" She hissed.

"Get other toys Pam." I hissed back. Jesus, Pam could have any woman she'd like but was caught up by those Timmie successfully managed to drive away, just to have some fun. Usually I approved of Timmie's pranks when she did this sort of stuff (it was funny to watch), but now I was not in the mood.

"She does this all the time! She knows I don't like to chase my food more than once!" She huffed. I only stared at her for a few seconds, telling her I was not going to speak another word of this. "Fine" She said eventually and glared. "As much fun you two could have had, you don't have time to play bunnies for the night. The Sherriff is needed at Fangtasia." She said bitterly and strode away using vampire speed.

I sighed, resting my head on my lovers shoulder, drawing in a breath to feel the oxygen burn in my lungs. "I am sorry." I said. When I looked up, I saw that she was only amused.

"It's okay, I understand." She reassured me, and wiggled out of my grip and down to the ground. I didn't want to let her go, but eventually I had to. "Do you want to come? I can take you somewhere else afterwards if you'd like." I offered.

"No…" She shook her head. "But maybe you can take me so I can see Jason tomorrow?"

That surprised and pleased me at the same time. "Of course lover." I said and gave her a kiss. "I will be back before you know it." She nodded and I kissed her again before I used my vampire speed to follow Pam.

Fangtasia wasn't open for the vermin yet, and I relieved in the silence I knew would be short-lived. Timmie I knew was out hunting somewhere, keeping her distance from Pam. Pam was sitting in the leather couch, sulking. I turned on my computer and went through the mail before I leaned back in my chair. "So what is new?" I questioned her.

She glared at me. "Three new vampires are seeking your permission to stay in the area. The dog was here again and asked for your _lover_ and we need a new dancer."

"What did you say?" I asked her.

She knew what I meant and her eyes lighted up slightly. "I flashed him my fangs and told him you weren't here to stop me from chewing on his neck if he didn't get the hell away and wait until she contacted him."

I nodded in approval. "She wishes to visit her brother tomorrow." I told her.

"How nice." She said sarcastically.

"I have you and Timmie to thank for her recovery." I said seriously, showing my gratitude.

"You can thank me by letting me quit this job." She said and raised her eyebrow, something she had learned from me.

"I am thinking about quitting myself." I confessed. That made me get her fully attention. "I am sick of the vermin and this place. If you don't want it, I will give it to Thalia to operate it for me"

"When did you plan to do this? Where will you go?" She asked.

"After things have settled down after the takeover next month…" I contemplated if I should tell her my plans with the bond between me and Sookie, and decided that I should. I didn't hide anything from my child. That made me realize I hadn't called Tora in a while. I noted myself to do it later tonight. "I will offer to break the bond between us."

"Why? She seems fine with it." Pam drawled.

"She is seeing things in a different light and has forgiven me, thanks to you and Timmie. But she doesn't know what the blood bonds means, and how much it is running over her _own_ feelings." I explained.

Pam only huffed and rolled her eyes. "It isn't making her feel a shit."

"We know that, and I believe she knows it deep down. But I will offer her the chance of breaking our bond so she can be certain on herself. It is the only way she can trust me completely." I stared out in the air thinking randomly on the bond. I hadn't called my friend yet either, but I probably should, to let her know I would require her services soon.

I waited for Pam to say anything, but she just sat still and stared at me. Then I felt her amusement. "You really have gotten soft!"

I smirked. "Say it again and I promise you I will prove you wrong."

She only smiled back before she stood and got serious again. "You didn't tell me where you would go…"

I stood from my chair as well and strolled slowly around my desk while I talked. "I don't know yet. Hopefully Sookie will follow me, and we decide together."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" She said and placed her hand on her hip.

I invaded her personal space and looked her deep in her eyes. "_You _will do whatever you please."

"So I can come with you?" She said and raised her eyebrow again. I knew she already knew the answer to that, especially when she didn't even waited for my answer. "Never mind, I don't want to listen to you two going at it every night when I can't join or even watch."

"You can always stay with Timmie." I smirked.

She rolled her eyes then. "Yeah right, like that is ever going to happen."

I knew it very well would, and pulled her into my arms. It was a rare occasion that we showed affection towards each other like this, but it felt good. I loved her in a special way; no one could ever take her place. "I won't leave you, my child."

"You damn well won't leave me." She muttered and pulled out of my arms, gathering herself again. "How would I ever have fun again without Sookie bringing trouble into our existence?" She teased.

I ignored her and sat back down in my chair. "Contact the three vampires that wanted to stay here and tell them I am waiting." I ordered, back in business mode.

She nodded and strolled out of the office, her black stiletto heels clicking away. I leaned back in my chair again and thought about our conversation. I hadn't really had the time speaking with my child about things like this. I picked up my phone and dialed Tora's number.

She picked up at the third ring. _"Eric, I didn't think I would ever hear from you again! I believe you and your bonded are doing well?" _

"Tora, we have been busy." I said, explaining about the Queen.

"_She needs to be gone, I agree."_

"I am giving my lover the offer of leaving after everything is done." I said, laying down what I knew she would pick up.

"_Yeah, you are both welcome to Norway if you decide to have the vacation here." _She said tartly.

I smiled. "Stay well in the meantime."

"_Good luck with the takeover." _She said and we hung up.

I was still smiling slightly when I heard the vermin start to enter the bar. A knock on the door alerted me of the three new vampire's arrival. "Come in." I said and sunk back in my chair, stretching my legs out on the desk.

Pam entered with one on the vampires in tow. "Peter Hassle." She announced bored and walked out again, leaving me with the new vampire. "Sit." I commanded and opened his file. He was around 300 years old, made in Germany by Paris Gray, a vampire I had met a few time through my existence.

"Why do you seek residence in my Area?" I questioned him.

"I wanted to settle down under a powerful vampire." He said, not holding back.

I smirked lightly, enjoying his recognition. "Where are you staying?"

"Here in town." He replied.

"You are to swear fealty to me, and answer to any of my calls. You are expected to show up and entertain the humans that comes to my bar twice a month, like everyone else. Any questions?" I said closing his files, studying him.

"No, Sherriff. I swear full fealty to you and your area." He said without flinching.

"And to the Queen?" I asked half serious.

"I will answer your calls only and loyally." He answered after a little pause.

"Smart." I nodded. "You have permission to stay in my Area, Hassle, but do know that I don't give second chances… Now, leave."

"Thank you, Sherriff." He said and stood from the chair. Pam sent the other two vampires in and I gave both of them the same permission. I finished with the paperwork and walked out in the bar to entertain the vermin a few minutes before I would go home to my lover. As usually, they gaped, stared and drooled all over me. I sat bored, flashing my fangs every now and then, getting gasps and moans in return. Fangtasia had been a secure and peaceful place to stay for a long time. Now, I only felt the need to get away from it all. It was dull and not what I wanted anymore. I couldn't wait to leave it all behind.

…

I found my lover lying under a blanket in the cabana, reading a book. With the slightly dimmed pinkish lights and the white glow from the moon, she looked like the fairy she really was. Through the bond she sensed me before I made myself presence. "How did everything go?" She asked looking in the direction I was standing, hidden in the shadows. I came forward smiling, before I 'vamped' myself next to her, making her jump slightly.

"It went very well." I said and kissed her cheek. "What are you reading?"

"Good. I am reading the book I got from Timmie at Christmas." She said and turned it so I could see the cover. "It's about a Viking and a damsel in distress." She smiled softly.

"How is it so far?" I smirked.

"Cheesy." She imitated my smirk and closed the book. "Eric…"

"Yes, my bonded?" I said when she hesitated.

"Why haven't you brought everything back from London?" She was frowning, and I understood her confusion and wonder even though the question surprised me a little.

"You are still the tenant of the house. I didn't want to change anything in case you wanted to go back." I confessed. I had really thought about keeping it as a safe house in the beginning, but couldn't do that anymore now that the Queen and her child knew about its location (until they were both gone). And then, I wanted Sookie to decide for herself what to do with everything.

Her frown deepened. "Go back?"

"I won't keep you as a prisoner. I want you to be with me willingly, and if not I am prepared to let you go." I was not planning on having this conversation now, and I wanted to end it. But as we were already talking about it, I figured I could just say it and let her in on my little plan. "I have a friend who can break our bond."

My lover looked away from me and down, studying her hands that were lying in her lap. "You don't want it?"

"I do." I said and lifted a hand to her chin so she would look at me. "At first I wanted to break it at once, seeing how destroyed you were by my actions. But I couldn't do it and send you away like that. I wanted to make sure you were okay first. I am not saying I want you gone, lover, but I want to break the bond so you can be sure of yourself and your own feeling towards me." I explained.

"When did you plan to do this?" She said and looked away again. I could smell the slightly salty scent I knew was her tears.

"I wanted to talk to you about it after the takeover, and if you accepted the offer, break it when everything had calmed down and it was safe." I stoked her hair gentle, shooting her.

"Oh." Was the only thing she said.

"You do not need to give me an answer now, Sookie." She looked up at me again when I addressed her by name. "If you do want to break it, we will, but we need to do it when it is safe."

"Okay." She said weakly. She leaned in and placed her head on my chest. Her end of the bond was slightly open, and I felt her tormented emotions; Lust, confusion, wavering, insecurity and doubt. I sneaked my arms around her, feeling she slightly calmed down, heat, safety, completeness and warmth filling her.

"Are you going to tell me about your master plan, soon?" She questioned quietly.

I smiled amused. "Yes my bonded, but not tonight."

**Sookie POV**

I didn't know exactly what to think when Eric told me about his plans on offering to break the bond. I had fought it so hard, and when I eventually had surrendered and believed him, he wanted to break it. I had calmed down a little when he explained, but it still hurt. The bond was a part of me now. I was so used to feel Eric's presence in my head I didn't know if I wanted him gone! His reassurance about not needing to decide before after his great takeover was taking the tension slightly away.

I wanted to know what his plan was with the Queen but I didn't bother to argue more. I had enough information of his plans for tonight… Instead I snuggled closer into his chest, feeling secure and safe. His body didn't even seem cold, but heated and tempting. A sound from the bushes on the other side of the swimming pool startled me. "It's Timmie." Eric said in the moment the white tiger came in sight. She walked on the edge of the pool, slowly coming towards us, her green eyes shined in the darkness.

"She looks so majestic, dangerous and beautiful all at once." I commended, stretching out my arm to pet her. The large tiger didn't hesitate to crawl up in our laps, or rather tried. I pulled away from Eric's arms to give her some room, but she still only got her upper body into the couch before her lower body settled on the floor. I was amazed again for how large she was in the tiger form. My hand looked like a child's hand when I petted her head. A deep purring erupted from her, but ended as soon as Eric stuck his hand in her view.

The tiger looked like she glared at Eric who only smirked. "I think she had a new Master."

"She is loyal to you Eric." I said sharply.

"Her human is. I think the tiger is on your side. After all, she helped you cheat." Eric teased.

"It isn't cheating if it isn't against the rules" I smiled and petted Timmie some more.

"You can communicate with her?" Eric stated.

"No." I lied and closed the bond so he wouldn't notice it. If I needed to use that trick again, I didn't want him to know I could do it. "But you can."

"I can." He confirmed.

We sat in silence, me patting and Eric poking the tiger to her obvious annoyance. I thought about everything that had happened over the last few days and something hit to me. "Eric?"

"Yes, bonded?"

I loved it when he called me that. "Why do you think my light isn't working like it has before?" I looked up at him, noticing for the first time how close we were and how he looked so magical in the moonlight and the slightly pinkish light from the ceiling lamps. His features were soft and relaxed when he gazed down on me. "I don't know for sure but I believe it is because of… Everything that have happened…"

"But I am better now." I frowned.

"I can't explain it." He said and poked the tiger again. "I think you should use it more like we did when you cheated."

"I didn't cheat." I said amused, but leaned over Timmie's large head to rest my head on his hard chest.

"You can call it whatever you like, lover." Eric said.

I rolled my eyes and pulled away from him. "Can I borrow a phone tomorrow, oh, and an alarm clock so I don't sleep all day?"

Eric didn't look too pleased with me pulling away, but nodded. "Only if you come back to me when I wake."

"Deal." I said and smiled before I tangled myself away from him, Timmie and the blanket that was all holding me down. I eventually managed, and stood. "I am tired." I said and yawned.

"We will go to bed." Eric nodded. I knew it was still a little early, and felt excited and slightly nervous for what may happen.

Eric shoved the tiger away from him before he stood to his full height. Timmie led the way inside and Eric pulled me close to him as we walked. Playfully he grabbed Timmie's tail, something that made the large tiger growl. Before I even registered what happened, Eric had a deep scratch in his hand. "You deserved that." I said dryly.

Eric only watched the wound close before he shifted his gaze to the tiger that was still glaring at him. "She is definitely on your side now." We continued inside and I couldn't help the little satisfied smile that crept upon my lips at that thought.


	32. Chapter 32

**Eric POV**

It amused me how the tiger in Timmie had joined forces with my lover, turning her back towards me. I didn't blame her though, having fallen for Sookie myself. I held her close as we walked into the house. "Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"No I'm fine." She said and smiled nervously. I had an idea of what was going through her mind and I wanted her to relax. I wouldn't do anything she didn't want me to do... "Do you want to soak a little" I asked her. I had a few relaxing oils and lights that were supposed to have a calming and relaxing effect.

"That would be nice." She said and stopped when we entered the library. I pulled her close, levitating the both of us upstairs and into my bedroom. I sat her gently down before guiding her into the bathroom. I was planning on joining her, and hoped I would be lucky enough to not get kicked out. "There towels and everything you might need in here." I said and pointed out where to find stuff. I filled up the bath, making sure to use some bubbles that would make a good layer of foam that would help covering her. I really didn't want her covered, but knew she would feel more comfortable, making the possibility for me being kicked out less likely.

"Thank you." She said and smiled. I appeared before her and kissed her softly. "You're welcome, my bonded." I said and walked slowly out of the bathroom. I felt her slightly hesitation and wondered if she wanted me to stay. When she didn't say anything, I closed the door and waited for her to get in, before I would invite myself.

I started to undress and walked back into the bathroom when I heard the sound of my lover getting in the tub. "Eric." She gasped when she noticed me and the lovely red color appeared in her face.

I smirked. "Is there room for me?" I asked, loving her flushed face. She didn't protest, and I took the silence as a "yes" and got in, splashing some of the water on the floor. "What?" I asked amused when she still didn't say anything.

"Nothing." She said eventually and averted her gaze. I didn't know why she suddenly was so shy; it wasn't like we hadn't explored each other before. I wondered if it was because I was naked and sported a very erected hard on, but she had seen that before too…

"You are supposed to relax, Sookie." I said after a while when she was still tense and blushing.

"I am trying." She answered quickly. I smiled inwardly and stretched my legs out, caging her between them. I knew I wasn't helping the blush on her face to fade, but I enjoyed the color on her. "You need to try harder, lover."

"Stop calling me that." She insisted. I only looked at her, studying her face and shoulders that were over the foam. I wanted to pull her into my lap, lick the water off her body and bury myself inside of her so bad. I felt myself twitch by the thought and decided to start a conversation, distracting myself and help my lover relax.

"Where are you planning on meeting your brother tomorrow?" I questioned.

She eyes me suspiciously. "I don't know yet."

"Merlotte's?" I suggested.

"I don't want to see anyone other than him." She confessed and bit her bottom lip. I knew that look, the look of guilt, probably for not wanting to see her other friends.

"You will meet everyone when you are ready and feel like it." I supported her. She looked me in the eyes the, and smiled.

"I know. I just feel bad for not talking to Sam." She confessed again.

I sighed, knowing that when the time came, it would be hard for her. I knew the shifter would try to convince her to stay with him, to let him protect her, to make sure she understood how dangerous and manipulating I was. Not to mention he would bring up everything that had happened in my hunt for her. "If you want I can come with you when you want to talk to him."

"I appreciate it, but I think it will only make it worse. I know Sam, he will not be happy with this." She said and wafted her hand between us.

I nodded, pleased that she had her feet on the ground and not being naïve about this. "You are forcing yourself to wake up earlier?" I questioned her again.

"I miss the sun." She smiled. I smiled back. I had hoped she would want to spend some time in the sun, to get her amazing smell and tan back. For the moment she looked as pale as me, something that didn't suit her very well.

"If you want company, I know Timmie usually spend the last few hours by the pool in the sun when we stay here." I informed her. "I am unfortunately unable to keep you company myself."

Sookie smiled sadly. The conversation had however helped her lose the tension. I was still uncomfortably hard, and needed to touch her. "Turn around, bonded." I asked/ordered. She eyes me suspiciously again, before she slowly did as I said. I bent my knees, bending closer to her and removed the wet hair away from her shoulders. I felt her shiver when I placed a soft kiss on her neck, and knew without looking that the blush had returned in her face.

"Relax Sookie; I won't do anything you don't want me to." I told her.

"I know." She said, but it didn't help her relax. I massaged her shoulders a while before I pulled her back into my own naked body. The water was slick and made my nerves so much more alerted to her, but hid her scent, something I didn't like. My length was sandwiched between us when I turned her head so I could kiss her. It started out softly, but I couldn't hold back and deepened it. She tasted so sweet, making me wonder if the tasted of the same sweetness _somewhere else._

The desire flared and I sneaked my hands around her, tracing her stomach before I mover them upwards to her perfect breasts. Her moan made my fangs drop, slightly cutting her lip. She gasped in surprise, pulling away quickly. The heavy scent of her blood filled the air and I stared at the little wound that was the cause before I looked in her eyes again. The light blue eyes I was used to, was slightly darker and filled with her lust and desire.

I had waited for too long apparently when her hand sneaked behind my head and pulled me close again. I lapped up the blood and growled when the taste hit my tongue. It was so sweet and rich, perfectly made for me. Her tongue then sneaked welcomingly into my mouth and made me shiver when it traced my fangs. I grabbed her a little harder and turned her in my arms. Now straddling me, she pulled away and looked me into my eyes. Her blush was presence and she smiled slightly. "What is it?" I asked when she didn't do anything but smile.

"I was just thinking… You are so beautiful." She said, using the same words I had used so many times to describe her. I smiled and pulled her into another quick kiss. "I want you." I murmured into her lips before she kissed me harder. "And I want you." She replied. It was all I wanted to hear and gathered her in my arms and stood from the tub. Not bothering to dry off, I walked into the bedroom and eased her down in the bed. I pulled back to look at her naked body, something I had wanted since I first saw her. To my pleasure, she didn't try to cover herself like I thought she was going to do.

My eyes roamed her body before I settled on her eyes, noticing that she was eying me the same way I had her. Pride and satisfaction filled my chest when I saw her eyes widen and heard her pulse quicken when her eyes settled on a certain part on my lower body. She quickly looked up and blushed brightly before she smiled nervously. I crawled into the bed and hovered above her. "You are perfect." I said and showered her face with small kisses.

Her arms settled around my neck and she pulled me close, demanding my lips on hers. I liked the little bossiness and complied happily. Groaning, I broke the kiss and started the travel down her body. I allowed my fangs to scrape down her neck, collarbone and eventually her breasts where I paid a little extra attention. Her back arced upwards, inviting me to continue. I wanted to savior this moment; make our first time memorable and special, both for me and my lover. I smiled slightly, thinking about how she really couldn't argue about me using that particular word anymore.

I kissed my way down her ribcage, licking the water off of her, before I neared her lower stomach. Her moans spurred me on along with her sweet arousal that was now filling the air. The moment my tongue hit her sweet spot, my mouth exploded. I almost didn't hear Sookie moan my name for the first time, I was lost in the bliss of her amazing taste. I closed my eyes and savored the taste, letting my tongue drive from her back to her front. I had to hold her down at her hips when she lifted into me. "You taste amazing." I groaned silently and lapped at her again a little more forcefully.

"Oh, God." My lover moaned again. My hand left her hips to feel her legs, thighs, stomach and breasts again before I decided I needed more room and let then wander down again to widen her legs. I settled more comfortably and added a hand to work with my tongue. My lover's hands sneaked themself into my hair and grabbed hard in sync when I probed her opening with one finger. I opened my bond slightly for her and tried to feel her end. As if she felt me in her mind, she opened up slightly as well, allowing me to feel her better.

She was already close, like me, and I knew none of us was going to last much longer. Too much of sexual tension was between us, and the passion and desire flaring between us was touchable. I looked up to meet her eyes that was staring right back. Her skin, hair and eyes were almost glowing, and I knew the feeling in her eyes, love, was mirroring mine. "I have waited for this for so long." I said hoarsely and placed my lips down on her again, sucking her bundle of nerves into my mouth as I carefully slid one finger into her. Her breathing was heavy and her inner walls were already contracting slightly around my finger. She was so warm, sweet and perfect I couldn't understand why Bill hadn't snatched her away and hid her from the world the first moment he saw her.

"Eric, I'm…" Sookie breathed. "Close." I finished for her. I had to strain myself to hold back and not come already. I wanted for us to do it together and decided I couldn't wait anymore. I slipped in one more finger and looked up in her dark blue eyes.

I had never in my entire lifetime managed to come without even touching myself but Sookie did it. The heat from her body, the desire and sexual tension, her eyes on mine and how beautiful she looked when she climaxed all threw me over the edge. I shifted my head to her inner thigh and bit down making her come yet again. One thing was certain, I wouldn't let it go one night without her screaming my name like she did. Her walls around my fingers were clamped down hard, making me excited to feel it when I was deep buried inside of her. I sealed the wound on her thigh regrettably when she came down from her height. She was breathing heavily and had her eyes close. I took my time to lick her juice off my fingers before I kissed her softly on her stomach, each breast, collarbone, neck, chin and eventually lips. She opened her eyes again and I had to pull back so she could breathe.

"That… was amazing." She said and smiled shyly.

"I am not done yet, lover." I smirked and kissed her again. Just that moment, my phone started to ring. I pulled back cursing before I decided to ignore it. Sookie sneaked her arms around my neck and lifted her legs around my hips, caging me in, ready for more. I bent down, licking her damp skin and I grinded my hips into her slightly before I felt the bond I had with Pam nudge. I pulled back, making my lover frown. "What's wrong?" She asked a little scared.

"Pam." I only said and tangled myself from her to find my phone. On the display stood 14 missed calls. I called her back alarmed that something was seriously wrong.

"Pam." I said quickly when she picked up.

"_Well that was about fucking time you picked up."_ She said sounding irritated.

"What wrong?" I snapped equally irritated.

"_Oh, did I interrupt your quality time between the fairy's legs?" _She teased.

"You can expect only True Blood and no sex for a whole year if you don't tell me what is wrong this instant Pamela." I growled. I looked at my lover who had pulled the covers over her body, looking concerned.

"_Fine... Andre has been seen lurking around." _She huffed, bored.

I waited for some more but realized it wasn't anything else. "And this was so important it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

"_I thought you wanted to know, since we are slightly into deep shit already with the Queen and her fucking child. He was watching Fangtasia and is probably waiting for someone to follow and lead his way to your lover's bed." _Pam said annoyed.

I growled at her use of words for my lover but I knew she was right in that other part. "He will definitely stalk you to find our resting place." I agreed. "Just rest at Fangtasia tonight."

"_Yeah, like he won't come inside and demand to know where you are." _She sneered.

I sighed, burning my lungs with oxygen, knowing very well that Andre would probably take the opportunity having Pam alone to play. He was twice Pam's age, something to be concerned about if they really got into a fight, knowing Pam they very well could. I looked at my lover again who was now sitting upright, looking back at me. I didn't want to leave her, I wanted to continue what we started but thoughts about Andre had killed my mood. "I'll come over." I said and hung up.

"What's wrong?" Sookie asked immediately.

"Andre is lurking around Fangtasia." I said and got dressed.

Her frown deepened and I explained. "He will not leave without answers, and seeing me gone is the perfect opportunity for him to confront Pam. Pam will not let him of course and I fear they will end up with a fight. Andre is twice Pam's age, but if I am there he won't dare to do anything"

"That psycho bastard..." My lover muttered under her breath. She looked so damn eatable where she sat, hair all over, flushed face, covers halfway covering her and that angry frown. I pulled up my phone from my pocked again and took a quick picture.

"Hey!" She said when she noticed.

I 'vamped' closer and kissed her forehead. "I am sorry lover, but I need to go."

"Of course." She said quickly.

"We will continue this later." I tried to assure her but only made her blush. I took another quick picture and smirked, loving her sweet look.

"Hey, stop that!" She said irritated. I kissed her again before taking another picture and disappeared before she could say anything else.

**Sookie POV**

That smug stupid vampire, taking pictures of me! He had something coming alright, if he did anything more other than delete them from his phone! I fell back on the bed and smiled to myself. He had been amazing! I had been very uncertain and nervous in the beginning, but had decided to just let go and not denying myself what I wanted. I was slightly disappointed that he had to go, now that I finally had no regrets or second thoughts. But as he said, we could finish it later. That thought made heat crawl over my skin in embarrassment and excitement. Bill had never made me feel that way. Bill's fingers or mouth could never compare to the Viking. With Eric it had been so passionate, so much desire I didn't know what to do with myself. I was definitely looking forward to our next encounter.

…

I woke to a horrible sound. The beeping got louder and louder, making my head hurt and adrenaline pump in my body. I had to get it to stop! I then realized Eric was back when I wasn't able to move. I used all of my strength to push hid body that was wrapped around me away. Light from the bedside lamp made it possible for me to locate the disturbing alarm clock which I almost threw in the ground.

The tiredness I might have felt when being woke up early was completely gone by the adrenaline still pumping in me. I looked to the large hole in the floor leading down to the library. I walked closer and looked down. It was an amazing and weird at the same time, standing in pitch blackness looking down at the library that was bright and shiny by the sun. I turned back to the bed Eric was sleeping in. Walking closer, I crawled onto him and straddled him. He looked to peaceful and human when he rested. Letting my fingers run through his hair, I leaned down and kissed him on his lips. I almost jumped in the air when his arms moved, sneaking around my back to hold me close. "Eric?" I said unsecure. He hadn't moved in his rest for a long time now, and it surprised me when he suddenly did.

He didn't answer, and I had to put it in the box in my head with all of the other incidents that wasn't supposed to happen when it did. Again, I had to tangle myself out of his arms. I took a quick shower before finding a pair of shorts and a tank top in the closet to wear. I smiled, excited to see the sun again and hurried through the trapdoor, down the narrow stairwell and down the hall before I ended up in the mirror-room as I now called it.

When I entered the hallway I had to stop and cover my eyes. With everything being white, and the large windows allowing the sun to shine through them, the light got to bright. I had after all spent my last two months or so in the darkness of the night, so my eyes would probably need some time getting used to the sun again.

I half stumbled through the hallway and into the wide hall with the two stairs leaning upstairs. Everything looked so different in the daylight. I felt like a princess in a castle!

In the kitchen I grabbed a bowl of strawberries and made some iced tea and brought it back through the long hall and finally I ended up outside. I had to squeeze my eyes shut from the bright light and walked slowly over to the cabana. The curtains that were hanging down in front of the glass walls, helped slightly with the sun. I sat in the couch, eating the strawberries and waited until my eyes got used to the bright light. When they finally did, and I was able to look around like normal without hurting, I stood and walked out in the sun.

The skin that was exposed to the sun was tingling, prickling and burning slightly. I almost got tears in my eyes by the amazing feeling of heat on my skin again. Everything was different in the sun, even the smells. I walked over to the loungers and stripped down to my underwear before lying down on one of them. I stretched out, laughed a little before I lay still to feel how my body absorbed the sunbeams like a sponge in water.

After what seemed like seconds I had to retire into the cabana again, afraid to get sunburned. My skin was white, all of my blue veins visible, something they usually never did when I had my tan. I did manage to get tan lines already where my underwear had covered me however, making me troubled. I was happy that I got a little color on me, but I hated tan lines!

Just then, the glass door to the house opened and Timmie appeared "Hey, Sookie!" She beamed.

I could only smile back when she came toward me. "It's great, isn't it?" She said, referring to the sun.

"Yes, it is perfect!" I beamed back, happy. I offered her some strawberries which she only grimaced over and waved some raw meet in front of me. "Ewe, Timmie!" I said and frowned.

"I caught it last night." She smiled and started chewing on it.

I almost gagged, but took a sip of my iced tea and turned my attention elsewhere. "Pam didn't like your joke." I said and looked at her.

Timmie only laughed. "I know, it is hilarious!" She said amused.

"Aren't you concerned about her revenge?" I asked her curious.

"Nah, she won't best me anyways." Timmie winked and continued to chew on her meat. I finished the bowl of strawberries thinking of a few pranks I had played on Jason when I was younger. Or more like what he had played on me….

That thought made me remember my plans for tonight. I had to call him and let him know I was coming, so he wouldn't be busy with something_ (or someone). _I stood from the couch and faced Timmie. "You want to make something good for a late lunch?"

"Sure." She said and smiled. "I love you Sookie, you know that?" She suddenly said and stood to hug me. She surprised me a little, but I hugged her back. "I love you too." I said and meant it.

I walked into the mirror-room and further through the narrow hall, into Eric's bedroom. This time, my eyes had trouble getting used to the dark, almost making me dizzy whit the sudden changes. I lay down on Eric, resting my head on his chest before I reached over and grabbed the phone that was lying on the nightstand.

It took some time before my brother picked up. _"Hello?" _ His voice sounded through the phone, making me smile.

"Hey Jason" I said happy.

"_Sook, what's up?"_ He said, making my smile wider.

"Nothing special … Listen, I wondered if you were free this evening?" I asked, crossing my fingers that he was free so I could see him. I missed him.

"_Well, how late were you thinking?" _He asked.

"I don't know, eight, nine?" I said, not really thinking about what time Eric would be able to take me.

"_Okay." _He agreed.

If Eric was busy at the time I figured I could drive there myself, maybe Timmie would join. "Perfect, I'll bring you something to eat." I smiled.

"_I hoped you would say that." _ He chuckled. _"Grans pie would be amazing if you don't mind." _

I rolled my eyes. I guess I was making Grans pie tonight (I had just been thinking crackers or something). "Fine, but don't tell anyone I am coming over tonight, especially Sam."

"_Okay, sis. See you later." _Jason said.

"Bye." I replied and we hung up. My life was getting better and better by time (if I ignored the issues with the Queen…). Placing the phone back at the nightstand I hugged Eric tightly before I stood from the bed again.

I found Timmie in the kitchen with food everywhere. How she managed to make a mess on the little time I was gone, I had no idea. "Timmie, sit." I ordered her before she made an even bigger mess. She did as I said with an apologizing smile. I went to work, cleaning up what she had tried to make, and started all over again. I was about to wash my hands in the sink, when a spray of water hit me right in the face. I screamed slightly by how cold it was and struggled to turn it off. I turned quickly around dripping wet, looking at Timmie who was laughing her ass of. "Timmie!" I said angry.

"Oh my God!" She said and clutched her stomach. "You… You…" ¨

"It isn't funny!" I exclaimed.

"It is!" Timmie laughed harder and I waited for her to finish. "I'm… I'm sorry, but you should have seen yourself. I promise it wasn't me!" She said, drying off her tears.

"Yeah right…" I muttered and turned back to the sink. I examined the nozzle of the sink where I found a duct tape, placed with a little gap in the front where the water had been forced straight in my face. "This is not funny." I said again, finding a kerchief to dry my face off.

I got even more irritated when Timmie only tried to hold back her laugh. I rolled my eyes and pulled out some bread and sandwich spread with a little more forcefully moves. "I'm sorry Sook, it was just really funny to watch, but I didn't know, I swear!" Timmie said behind me, but I could still hear the amusement in her voice, making the apology too meek for me to believe it was genuine.

"Right…" I only answered and retrieved some pepper and chili from the cabinets, planning my revenge. She may speak the truth that it wasn't her prank, but she had laughed! I made two sandwiches, one regular for me, and one a _little _spicier for Timmie. I placed the plate in front of her and sat down on the opposite side of the table, pretending like nothing was wrong. After a life with hiding my telepathy, I did it perfectly. The moment Timmie took a bite of the heavy peppered and chili-chicken sandwich was priceless. I almost wished I had brought Eric's phone so I could have taken a picture. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears and she spluttered the bite out on her plate. She stood quickly from her chair and hurried over to the sink, needy of water for her probably burning mouth. The spray hit her hard in the face, since I hadn't bothered to remover the duct tape, only making my little prank more satisfying.

I smiled to myself and switched our sandwiches so I had her spicy one in my hands and continued to pretend like nothing. "Are you trying to kill me?" Timmie eventually shouted.

"What?" I asked confused, playing dumb.

"You did that on purpose!" She accused me and pointed at my sandwich that were now lying on her plate.

"I don't know what you mean." I said calmly, trying to sound surprised and a little offended.

"Don't try to act, Sook, that sandwich tasted terrible!" Timmie said again.

I wanted to bad to smile, but hid it with a frown. "I made my sandwich just the same way." I said and offered her mine. I leaned in and smelled it, she looked _very _suspicious before her face screwed up in another grimace. "Oh my God, I can't believe you eat that shit!"

"It's rude to say things like that to others food." I pointed out.

"You do it to me all the time." She said, crossing her arms. Yeah, she got me there. "How is your mouth not burning right now?" She asked again, still agitated. I only shrugged my shoulders in reply and pretended to take another little bite.

"Ewe, I'm going hunting!" She said and exited the kitchen quickly. I waited as long as possible before I burst out laughing. That suited her right! I threw her spicy sandwich away and brought mine with me into the library where I sat down in the couch and found my book. The time passed quickly and I eventually closed the book when the sun was setting outside of the large windows. I stood, stretching, before I remembered I had to make Jason the pie. I did it quickly, and hurried up to Eric's bedroom so I could be there when he woke. I blushed, thinking about what we did last night, heat rising to the surface on my body. Beside his bed, I stripped down to only wearing my panties and lay down on top of him, waiting for him to wake.

It only took a few minutes before the buzz in my brain that was him started to flare and his body stir. I rested my chin on his chest and smiled when he opened his eyes, finding mine immediately. "I love to rise like this." He said and the crook of his lips turned upwards. I smiled back, and placed a kiss on his chest. It vibrated under me when he growled slightly.

"How did it go last night?" I asked. It had obviously gone well or he hadn't been here, but I was still curious.

"I just picked up Pam and flew back here. Andre can't fly or track our scent that way." Eric said and closed his arms around me. He sat up in the bed, making me straddle him before he kissed my chest.

"I told Jason I would come around sometime between eight and nine." I said and looked down at him.

"Fine." He said and placed another kiss on my chest. Underneath me I felt something harden, something I knew was his gracious plenty. Last night I hadn't been able to tear my eyes away from it, for the first time seeing him up close and knowing it was mine. I blushed, slapping myself for thinking such thought… I almost sounded like a vampire!

"Eric." I said and tried to pull away from him. If he continued I wouldn't be able to tell him to stop.

"You have been out in the sun today." He said softly, making my attempt to wiggle out of his grip stop. He drew in a breath smelling me deeply, making goosebumps erupt on my skin.

"Your alarm clock woke me up early." I said looking down on him. He smiled slightly.

"I need to get changed if I am going out." I said and again started to wiggle out of his arms.

"I can help you if you want." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

I slapped his shoulder playfully when he finally eased the grip on me and got out of the bed. In the closet, I found a nice summer dress I changed into. Eric was already in his black pants, black wifebeater and leather jacket when I returned to the bedroom. I didn't hesitate to cross the room and walk into his arms. The same weird feeling of levitating surrounded me, making me close my eyes before I opened them and was standing in the library. We walked through the now darker halls and found Timmie and Pam in the sitting room. They were silent, glaring at each other before Timmie turned to me and gave me the same chilly look. I smiled amused, noticing Eric's curiosity though our bond.

"Something you want to tell me?" He questioned me, before turning to Timmie and Pam.

"Nope." I said and smiled.

Eric raised one of his perfect brows before moving on. "Pam, you will call me if Andre shows up again."

"Only if you bother to look up from between Blondie's legs to answer it…" Pam drawled, making me gasp for air from the embarrassment. The bad sort of warmth crawled up my back to my chest and face.

Pam smirked along with Timmie, making everything worse. Eric however ignored the comment to my relief. "We are going to see her brother this evening." He informed them.

"What will I do?" Timmie asked, like she expected to get some instructions.

"Go to Fangtasia with Pam." Eric suggested and turned to me. "Ready?" He asked.

I nodded and was glad to leave the room, retrieve the pie I had for Jason and go outside. "You got your car back?" I asked him when I saw the shiny red corvette in the driveway.

"Chow found four bugs and three GPS devices hidden in it." Eric confirmed smirking.

"God…" I said, not really understanding why the Queen bothered to try tracking Eric like this. She really was as stupid as Eric had said she was.

…

Taking the road leading toward Bon Temps made my nerves dance all over. Feelings came crashing back, joy of being back and in the familiar area, and pain from remembering how I left it and when Eric brought me back the first time to give me my house back. I turned my attention to the trees we were driving past in a high speed, tears filling my eyes. I was emotional and cried silently, but didn't know if it was from the joy or pain. I thought it was a little bit of both.

"Are you okay, lover?" Eric questioned me quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied and placed my walls tightly around my end of the bond, blocking him out.

"We can go back if you want to." Eric said and I looked at him.

"No, I want to see Jason." I said and dried my tears away. "It is just… weird being back here."

Eric only nodded and we continued to drive in silence. He grabbed my hand though, like he used to and that calmed me slightly.

**Eric POV**

I felt my bonded's troubled feelings before she closed the bond on me. It annoyed me slightly that she wouldn't explain more of her feeling, but I wouldn't push her. One thing I had learned about my lover was that it didn't push.

I was pleased that she had been out in the sun, not only by the heavenly smell that lingered on her skin, but her soul, something I could only explain by her spark getting stronger. I grabbed her hand in comfort and didn't say anything more until we drove up her brother's driveway. I parked the car and squeezed my lover's hand. "Do you want me to come?"

"No, it's okay, thank you." She answered nervously and opened the door. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss before I let her go.

Her blonde hair shimmered in the dark when she walked up to the door toward his house. Her brother opened the door and they hugged for a long time before he took the food she had brought and disappeared into his own house. My lover waited a few seconds before she followed him. I listened in on their conversation carefully.

My lover told about her life in London and eventually made up a cover story for why she was back. Her brother didn't seem to buy it having talked enough with that fucking shifter, but my lover asked about what he had been up to for the last month making him quickly forget all about me and the horrible vampires.

I went into downtime to get the time to pass quicker and only pulled out when I felt my lover coming closer. Opening my eyes, she came towards the car with a huge smile on her face.

"It went well, I presume?" I asked when she got in the car.

"Jason has been with the same girl for over three weeks now." She said and smiled wider. "I can't believe it."

I smiled amused, glad that everything had gone so well for her. "Do you want to go somewhere else? Your house?" I questioned her.

Her smile faltered a little and I wondered if I had said something really wrong. "It is not my house." She said and turned in her seat so she could look at me better. "But I wouldn't mind going to see it."

I nodded and started up the car, driving us to her house. I had paid a maid to keep the house in perfect order. She didn't make any motion for getting out of the car, so I just sat silent, waiting for her to say or do something. Eventually she stepped out of the car and I followed. She didn't walk to the house however, but instead walked towards the graveyard.

"I am sorry for the way I reacted when you tried to give me back my house." She said silent. She had kind of apologized for this before, but I was interested to hear what she had to say and didn't interrupt. "When I met Bill, everything just got worse. They house me and Jase grew up in with all of our happy memories were washed away by all the new bad ones. When you gave me the ultimatum to be yours by choice or force, I decided to leave. You were the final drop and when you brought me back and suddenly wanted to give it back just like that, I snapped."

"I understand, Sookie." I said, using her name to emphasize my sincerity. "I thought I was doing something good, but didn't see how it would only destroy you more. If I could have erased everything and started over, I would."

"Me too..." Sookie agreed and stopped. I noticed she was looking down at a grave that was her Grans. Before she noticed I was gone, I used my vampire speed to Compton's house, stealing a few flowers that was planted around and appeared beside my lover again. "I know it is human tradition to place flowers on their loved ones graves." I said and offered her the bouquet.

"Thank you" She said, looking more than surprised. I smelled her salty tears again when she bent down to put some of the flowers on her grave. I observed her when she placed some flowers on two other graves as well, her mother and father. Her hurt reminded me of the same hurt I felt when my family died. I had gotten my revenge though, Russell was planted good down in the ground under the were's parking lot.

I rested one arm around her shoulder when we walked back towards her house. "You want to go inside?" I asked, looking up at the house.

She did the same and settled her arms around me. "No. Let's just go home."


	33. Chapter 33

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts. **

* * *

**Sookie POV**

My talk with Jason had brightened my mood even more. He didn't like me staying with Eric, but I convinced him I had found what I looked for in my life, something I kind of had. Sort of... I couldn't be completely sure because of the blood bond between me and Eric, but I was almost certain no blood could create those feelings I had for him. What did amaze me was how well Jason was doing. He had apparently been with the same girl for several weeks and been right on time for work every day – just like a grown up! I was so happy for him, and so happy that he didn't have any grudges against me for leaving him like I did. That, I believed was because I brought him Grans pie…

Eric's presence really supported me the whole time, especially when we drove to his (my?) house. I realized then, that I hadn't apologized for my behavior against him, even though he kind of deserved my anger at the time… It felt good to talk with him, walk with him and get his silent comfort. He was so sweet bringing me the flowers I knew were from Bill, but didn't care at the time. I hadn't been to my Gran's, or my parent's graves in a very long time and that was the most important thing in that moment.

We were driving to what I thought was home, when Eric pulled into a restaurant. "What are you doing?" I asked him.

"We are eating." He said and parked the car.

"Eric, I'm not dressed to eat here." I said feeling self-conscious in my everyday summer dress.

"You look perfect whatever you wear, my bonded." Eric smirked and suddenly disappeared and reappeared with my door open and an outstretched hand. I appreciated his thoughtfulness and compliments, but I wasn't complete sure on myself… Still, I let him lead me into the restaurant. I regretted it immediately when I saw how dressed up everyone was. A brunette came to greet us while eye fucking Eric at the same time before she showed us our table. I glared at her, feeling a little irritated that she would so openly flirt with him when I was here.

Eric ignored her, to my pleasure.

"Decided what to have yet, lover?" Eric said after some time, where I had studied the menu.

"Hmm…?" I said, not decided yet.

"The beefsteak is very good here." Eric said amused. I looked at him surprised. "You have tasted it?"

"No. But it's a best seller." He smirked.

"Right." I said feeling dumb. "How do you know?"

"I own this place." He said, leaning back in his chair.

"Oh." Was the only thing I said suddenly feeling a little awkward...

The burning light on the table made his gaze intense while we sat and stared at each other. It felt like he was studying my soul and I was actually glad the flirty waiter eventually came with my food and his blood. The food was amazingly good and made me close my eyes, savoring every bite.

"Stop that." Eric suddenly said, startling me.

"What?" I asked looking around, wondering if I had done something wrong.

"You are moaning." He said and the one corner of his mouth lifted.

I stared at him for a moment before I blushed. "Sorry." I breathed and looked down in my food. I looked around in the room at the other guests and noticed the women and some of the men were looking at Eric while sending me those angry glares I knew all too well. I didn't have to take down my shields to know what they all were thinking…

"You want to practice fighting later tonight?" Eric questioned, drawing my attention from the other guests.

"You're not going to Fangtasia?" I asked surprised.

"Not if Pam doesn't call me." He said.

"Okay, sure." I said and wondered if he meant with my light or with his knifes. "Will Timmie join us?"

"No, I want you all to myself." He smirked, making me blush again. "That way, you can't cheat again." He teased.

"I didn't cheat." I muttered and rolling my eyes. "I can take you out, just wait." I teased back.

"I am, impatiently." Eric snickered.

After finishing my main course I decided to skip the desert. I ignored all of the angry stares and flirty attempts toward Eric when he led me out to his car. I was excited to get home and start practicing. I felt a lot better and was in a good mood, so I was looking forward to prove to Eric that I could get him off his feet without help from Timmie.

"So do you think Andre is still lurking around?" I asked while looking at him. His strong muscular arms were flexing as he changed gear and turning on the wheel. I licked my lips slightly, longing to taste him and touch him. Eric glanced at me and I saw the tip of his fangs, suddenly aware of my arousal - he could probably smell it miles away. Schooling myself for thinking about him in that way now, I waited patiently for an answer ignoring my embarrassment.

"I am very certain that he didn't just go back to the Queen's zoo just because of one failure." Eric said and concentrated on the road again. "He is probably keeping Fangtasia under surveillance and waiting for one of us to lead him to our resting place, and you."

I shuddered, not in a good way. I hadn't had any dreams of him or Bill since the last horrifying one. I could still remember it though, like it was very real and had actually happened…

"So you need to pick Pam up every night and fly her back here so you can't get followed?" I wondered.

"That is the safest option, yes." He nodded.

"What happens if he manages somehow to track or follow us home?" I questioned.

"He will not see us or the house, but a large empty space. The magic is strong in the air so it would surprise me if he doesn't notice it. When he does, he will probably find a witch that will reverse the spell already in place." Eric explained.

"That easy?" I said surprised. It sounded so simple when he put it like that…

"The witch that has cast the spell on our house is very powerful and he will need a witch who can compare, something that won't be easy to find." Eric said and glanced at me before turning to the road again. "It is the same witch that has cast the spell on our house that will break our bond if that is what you decide to do." He added.

I liked how he said "our house" even if I didn't look at it as _mine_. I lived in it and called it home, but it was still Eric's house. But hearing him saying it was ours made me feel warm and loved. "Why do you think he came here in the first place?"

"There can be many reasons for that, my bonded. He may be trying to get more information about us, since the Queens trackers were destroyed. Or, he could be looking for a way to kill me and Pam, leaving you to be an easy prey…" Eric suggested.

"By why won't they just plan something better for the next time I must read her employees?" I frowned.

"Because my little telepath, the Queen is ignorant, stupid and obsessed. I believe she wants you to be hers and won't wait until next month. Her sudden eagerness to get the blood oath and for you to stay may come from her knowing about your heritage as well." Eric suggested again.

I only frowned deeper. "Didn't she know already? I mean, wouldn't Bill have told her?"

"I don't believe so. If she had known it before, she would have been more drastically and forward." Eric shrugged.

"So how did she suddenly find out?" I asked, raising my eyebrows questionably.

"The were who came into our room could have probably told her about your lightshow. And _if _ the Queen knew of your heritage beforehand from Bill, she might just have believed you didn't have the spark, like her pet." Eric looked between me and the road now and then, shifting gear and drove us further into the forest towards home.

"Hadley?" I said surprised.

"Yes. If the Queen knew you were fae, she would have done the research about you… But there have been few witnesses of your light so far and the Queen may have thought you had no spark either, like Hadley, but just with the telepathy. Of course, we will never know…" I wasn't aware of how much possibilities there were, but was glad that it was none of my concerns. Eric would protect me and worry about everything in my place. All I had to do was to worry about him and his safety… But not tonight… Tonight I was going to make him suffer a little bit…

Eric pulled up the driveway to the fantastic white house that housed my heart, and parked outside. I didn't hesitate to get out and walked right into Eric when I was headed towards the door. I looked at his amused look and smiled slightly back. "What?" I said and tried to walk around him to the door again. With speed impossible for me to see, he was in front of me with his arms closed around me. I instantly melted into his chest. He didn't say anything to answer me, but I didn't care. When I felt him smell me, I shivered in delight and smelled him back while tugging at his shirt electing a growl from him.

He pulled back, showing me a fangy smirk. "Come on, lover, I want to see you fight me." He said and wiggled his eyebrows. I followed him through the house and into the mirror-room. I just stood and watched him stroll around the room for a moment, before he decided on two daggers and brought them down from the wall.

"I think you might enjoy these ones." He said and handed me them.

They were light in my hand and I studied them before I looked up at him questionably.

"I think it is pointless to try to deny you any part in the coming takeover." Eric said with a glint in his eyes. I smiled inwardly. Damn right, it was pointless. "We will practice your lightshow, but you need something more for backup." I nodded in agreement and looked down on the daggers again. "We will dip the blades in silver before we go, but right now you are going to practice on me."

"You want me to use this on you?" I questioned, not liking the idea. It was different from using my light, after all it disappeared into his chest but using knives that would make wounds and be bloody… It just seemed more brutal.

"I do, and you are going to do your best to harm me." Eric said seriously.

"Eric, these are sharp." I protested.

Eric stared at me for some time and I blushed, feeling stupid. "I don't want to hurt you…" I explained.

"Lover, you won't hit me without me _wanting_ you to hit me, and I am not concerned with the pain. It is nonexistent and the little wounds you make will close up before you notice it." Eric said and crossed his arms over his chest.

I narrowed my eyes, getting offended. Without thinking I reached out and quickly slid the blade softly, halfhearted across his forearm. I smiled when he flinched slightly, before the little wound closed itself over before it filled with blood. I looked at him and met his now surprised look before he narrowed his eyes back at me. I only smiled, taking his challenge and reached out again. This time however he was gone before my arms was fully stretched.

"Tsk tsk, lover. You need to be faster." Eric schooled me, standing to my right.

"You cheat; you aren't supposed to move so fast." I said and turned to him.

Eric responded by talking slow steps, circling me. I lashed out for him, but he only stepped aside. "You need to mean it, lover."

His arrogance and smug look was really getting to me and I lashed out again, almost hitting him this time. I still didn't like this. I didn't like the thought of slicing him and actually mean it. I didn't like the evidence of seeing it. I opened my mind to locate his position without being depended on my eyes. Closing them, I let my head fall backwards before I walked slowly around, ignoring him. His void followed me closely and when I felt he was close enough I reached out with my arm. I felt it hit something and knew I had surprised him when he quickly pulled away and stood at the other side of the room.

"Clever." I heard him say before his void neared me again. This time he moved a little quicker with made me miss. "Faster, lover…" He said teasingly before moving around the room again. I kept my eyes closed and got the urge to keep up with the surprises. Standing a few meters away from me, I quickly reached out my arm, this time letting go of the dagger, sending it through the air. I had no idea if I threw it right or not but heard the unmistakable sound of it hitting the floor. "Close my little fairy, but not nearly well enough!" Eric said from across the room where the dagger had fallen.

I was starting to really get irritated by him now. Adding some thoughts about Bill, I felt heat rushing to the surface of my body before I threw out my hand and shot in the direction of his void.

I opened my eyes when Eric only muttered a "huh."

"What?" I asked, wondering what I was doing wrong now, or what I had to do better.

"Your light seemed a little brighter." He said and suddenly was gone before I felt his presence behind me. I only turned my wrist and shot another light at him, not wanting the chitchat.

A 'click' sounded and I had two white sharp fangs in my face. "Are you trying to mutilate me, _lover?_" He said low, making me shudder. I smiled and stood on my toes, kissing him before I let my tongue run over his sharp fangs. Eric groaned and pulled me into his body, now sporting a bump in his pants. I would have died of lust and desire hadn't it been for the irritation I felt over his earlier comments. I took the opportunity given to me, and shot him right in his chest. This time when I actually saw the light, I understood what Eric had said. He stumbled backwards and retracted his fangs. "You my little pet, are evil." He said smiling.

"I'm not your pet." I answered sharply and angled my light, trying to blast him again. He was gone before the light left my hand and appeared standing beside me. "You are." He whispered in my ear. I understood what he was trying to do, and he very mush managed to do it. Angry now, and at him, I blasted him again and was pleased when I saw my light did actually look stronger! "Yeah, and you are just a stupid bloodsucking dead man." I said back, hitting his arm before he jumped away.

"You are wrong, my bonded, I am not stupid." He said and smirked. God, sometimes I just wanted to slap that sexy smirk right off his face!

He disappeared from my sight and I felt him push my arm, making me stumble a few steps. "Hey, you are cheating." I said and straightened up, looking at him. He still had that annoying smirk, now with an added glint in his eyes.

"I changed the rules" he said simply and came closer. I rolled my eyes and channeled my light again, ready to use it. When within a reach, I lifted my glowing hand, but instead of shooting him, I lifted the other I still had the dagger in it and sliced it over his chest. It only made a tear in his black wifebeater, but I still felt good about it, having surprised him. Or so I told myself… I knew he could probably see me move before I even knew I was moving myself with those super senses of his.

Before I knew what happened I had my own little tear in my summer dress. "Hey!" I said, covering the little tear that showed my pale stomach. Eric only chuckled. I glared at him, forcing my little smile away before I threw the dagger at him. I missed by a mile, making him raise his one eyebrow.

I stared blank at him before I rolled my eyes again. "I don't like the daggers." I confessed.

Eric frowned, but turned around to look at his weapons on the wall behind him. I took the opportunity again and sent another light ball this way. I had to stifle a giggle when he smacked right into the wall, making some of the weapons fall down. He had his eyes narrowed when he turned around, while I just stood with crossed arms, mimicking his smug smile. He turned back to the wall and retrieved a sword.

I raised my eyebrows, already knowing that was not going to happen. "Why don't I just choose?" I asked and walked towards him. I could see his suspicious stare, but I hadn't planned to shoot him again... For now….

I let my eyes drift over that wall until they rested on a gun. Jason had taught me to use one of those, and if I had to ever use it, it wouldn't be too personal or intimate like with the daggers. It was perfect, but I was not going to practice with that on Eric! "I want that one." I said and pointed at it.

"Sure you can handle that?" Eric teased and reached up to pull the gun down.

"Better than the daggers at least…" I said and took it when he offered it.

"It is automatic and you can use both silver and wooden bullets." Eric explained. It was a little different from what I was used too, but I figured it worked the same was as all other hand guns did. "Let's take the training outside, shall we? I am looking forward to see how your aim is with that, after that sorry excuse you did with that last dagger." He said and I shoved him into the wall, making him chuckle again.

"You better be glad I like you so much, or you would have been in terrible pain right now." I said, faking anger and only making Eric laugh harder. "I'm serious!" I said slightly offended.

"Oh, you are not serious, lover. I have seen you serious, and that actually hurt." He said and dragged me down the hall, and outside.

I huffed under my breath and followed him through some bushes, away from the house and onto a lawn. "Wait here." He directed and was gone before I could say anything. Still with my shields down though, I followed his void into the house before he reappeared. "You are shooting at this." He said and showed me three bullseye's.

"Are you too scared to let me aim at you?" I teased him.

"Have you forgotten that you have already shot me once, my bonded? I bullet do a little more harm and pain that a mere knife blade." He said and disappeared again and placed the bullseye's in a different place on the lawn. I cringed slightly, remembering the time I had shot him. I had managed to hit the wolf if Eric hadn't jumped in front of him… It was his own damn fault he got shot when he did something stupid like that.

The last bullseye he placed so far away I had trouble seeing it, only managing it because of the moons lightening. "Fire away." Eric said, suddenly beside me again. I took a deep breath and lowered my shoulder. Standing in the position Jason had thought me; I lifted the gun, aimed and shot.

"Not bad." Eric said and mentioned me to continue.

I did, and fired a few more shots, aiming at all three of them. I didn't see if I hit them or not, but heard the muffled sound when I did. Eric stood silently beside me and watched with approval. My skin tingled under his stare and I blushed slightly while continued shooting. I jumped slightly, losing my focus when I felt his chest against my back. Chilly wind drifted between my legs before I registered his fingers on my thighs, lifting my dress slightly.

"Eric!" I said trying to move away from him, but he held me back.

"In a fight, you will get a lot of distractions, but you can't lose focus on your target." He said softly into my ear and I shivered. Leaning my head away from him, trying to get the fog of lust that was easing before my eyes, I continued to aim at the bullseye's.

It was hard to concentrate when I felt the bugle that was in his pants pressing into my behind while his fingers danced around my upper thighs. I closed the bond off completely, trying to distance myself from him in that way. It did work for a few second, until his nose and mouth roamed my neck and his fingers nearing themselves towards the juncture of my thighs.

I shoot a few more shots before I didn't manage to focus anymore. "I don't believe this will be the type of distractions I will meet in a fight." I moaned and leaned back into his body.

"You'll never know lover, maybe I have some time to snuggle you between slaying Andre and the Queen." Eric muttered and kissed my neck.

"You are not going to slay them. Not the Queen at least…" I said absently and enjoyed his attention. Turning in his arms, I jumped, crossing my legs around his back. I looked at Eric and smiled before my lips met his like they was magnets. His hand massaged my backside until I heard a tearing sound before a chill crept up my back. I broke the kiss and looked over to see Eric's hands roaming my entire back after he had ripped my dress in half. I felt excitement bubble in my chest and turned back to claim his lips. The grip I had around his neck loosened and I let them glide down his hard chest, opening the buttons on his shirt as they went.

Eric growled and held me tighter, before he lifted us from the ground. "Eric." I gasped, still not used to the strange sensation of flying. He flew us over the bushes towards the house and landed beside the pool. I stood on shaky legs supported by his arms and started to work on his belt and pants. The open bond was radiating with both of our lust and desire, urging me to go faster.

I leaned up to kiss him fervently as his pants loosened around his hips and slid down his legs leaving him in his boxers. My already torn dress was no more after Eric hooked a finger inside of the tear at the front and ripped the rest of the dress away, leaving me in my underwear as well. I jumped up in his arms, locking my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck. His hands massaged through my hair as he claimed my mouth with his, kissing me passionately. I had to force myself back so I could have a chance to breathe while Eric continued with the kisses on my neck.

My skin erupted in goosebumps all over as I held him tight, slightly grinding myself on him. "Sookie.." Eric groaned. I only moaned in return, my breath erratic. "I need to get Pam." He then muttered. I opened my eyes getting back to reality of his words, feeling disappointed. I loosened my grip on him and slid down his body, feeling _all _of him pressed against me as I went.

I took deep breaths, trying to calm down and get control over myself so I would jump him again. "Lover." Eric said, still connected with his lips on my neck.

"It's okay." I breathed, before I got a wonderful idea and pushed him away from me as hard as I could. The look of confusion, surprise and realization before Eric hit the surface of the pool was priceless. The water splashed everywhere and I quickly stepped back so I wouldn't get wet, laughing. I quickly sobered though, when Eric broke the surface, only from the nose and up over the water. His eyes were dark and had that little gleam to it, making me realize I did something stupid. I didn't hesitate to run as fast as I could towards the house, hoping Eric wouldn't follow me inside when he was dripping wet. I didn't make it halfway when I felt his arms snatching around me.

Screaming and laughing at the same time, I was lifted up from the ground and thrown over his shoulder. "Eric, stop it, I don't want to!" I said between giggles when he carried me back towards the pool. "Eric!" I screamed again, trying to hit his back so he would let me down.

"I have a right to revenge, lover." Eric said amused before he threw me into the water. The coldness really shook me as I wiggled around to get up to the surface. I spluttered and couched a few times before I opened my eyes and found Eric right in front of me.

"You stupid Viking!" I laughed even though I tried to be serious and splashed water in his face. I screamed again when he lunched towards me and barely managed to take a small breath before he ducked me under the cold water. I pushed him away and got a little alarmed when he didn't budge and I was getting short for air. Luckily he got my drift, and pulled us to the surface again. I breathed heavily a few times before I looked at him, this time successfully managed to stay serious.

I didn't have the greatest relationship to water… I didn't trust it. "I almost drowned!" I said angry before I lunched at him, wrestling him under the water. I laughed again before I remembered that it was probably wise to keep my air inside so I could hold my breath longer, especially when I was fighting a man who didn't need air at all. Eric allowed me to hold the advantage and I pushed him further under, wrestling when he got a hold on my wrist. Feeling the need to breathe again, I let go of the grip I had on him and struggled out of his grip before I broke the surface. I only got a few seconds before a hand on my ankle dragged me under again. I was ready to wrestle and wiggled around to get away from his grip, when a hand on my neck appeared and his lips on my lips. I stopped struggling and kissed him back.

We drifted up to the surface again and I broke the kiss to breathe. After the wrestling and short breaths of air in between, I was breathless. Eric placed his hands on my hips and pulled me into his body. I smiled, resting my forehead on his. The cold water suddenly didn't seem so cold anymore. Eric's arms were massaging my back slightly and I tried to ignore his gracious plenty that was resting between us. It wasn't easy and when I tried to move a little away, it only got worse. "Eric…" I wined slightly and held him tighter.

Eric kissed me softly before pulling back again. "We will continue this later, my bonded."

"You said that last time as well." I teased him slightly. I didn't want him to say anything and kissed him again. I would never tire of his lips against mine! The lights from the cabana and the moon was making everything very romantic, making excitement and love flare in my chest. That until Eric's phone started ringing. I sighed disappointed into his lips before I pulled back. "Why don't you just stake Andre while you're there already?"

Eric smirked. "Why don't you come with me and do it while I watch?"

"I can't stake him!" I said sharply. "He'll tear my throat out before I could blink."

Eric growled. "He wouldn't get near you if I was there."

I smiled slightly. "I know." I said and looked down at his chest. The phone that had stopped ringing started again and this time it was Eric who sighed. "I need to go." He said and lifted us up from the pool. It wasn't the cold air on my wet body that made me shiver, but when Eric released me from his arms.


	34. Chapter 34

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Sookie POV**

The days passed in a blur. I forced myself to get up early every day so I could soak in the sun. Timmie sat with me, but only in her tiger form. I spent a lot of time with Eric, but we never had the time to be together like we really wanted to…

Pam had gotten her revenge on Timmie somehow, making her happy but Timmie was fuming – resulting in Timmie staying in the tiger form most of the time. When she wasn't, she tortured me with training. It was exhausting and even though I tried to look at it positively, I only ended up complaining and trying to come up with something else we could do. At night, I trained with Eric on my light when he didn't need to go to Fangtasia or go somewhere else on business, something that happened more and more often. He explained it by planning the takeover and I didn't argue or push for more information. When he was gone, Pam usually stepped in to her pleasure and my dread. Pam was funny, but she did take advantage of the situation a little too much for my taste…

I was exhausted when a day full of training was done, making me fall asleep even before Eric got home. Still, I was pleased to see that my light (together with my mind and body) was slowly getting stronger every day. Pam, I could blast away and throw her off her feet but I didn't manage to do it with Eric yet. Usually we ended up all over each other until we got interrupted by something or someone.

I was sitting in our workout room reading my book. I _had _brought my book to read while I ran on the treadmill but discovered quickly how impossible the task was. I was in a very thrilling chapter and had to get off the machine to read it before I started the workout _for real_. Timmie of course chose that moment to come in and bust me. I looked up at her alarmed and cursed in my head that I hadn't paid attention to her brain closing in on me.

"What are you doing?" She questioned me sharply, looking from the book in my hands to the still running treadmill that I should have been running on.

"Training?" I said innocently.

She stood looking at me, the book and the treadmill a few seconds before she raised her hands over her head in defeat. "I give up." She said and turned around and left.

I tried to feel guilty for my disrespect; she was only trying to help me after all. But I couldn't do anything with the smile that forced itself through my fake guilty look. I turned off the treadmill and hurried into Eric's bedroom, grabbing my bikini and hurried outside to one of the loungers. The sun was shining, pouring warmth and strength into my now slightly tanned body. After some time when the tiger joined me, I slipped out of the bikini and sprawled out naked. I always made sure I didn't flash myself if Timmie was in her human form. The tiger I knew wouldn't think about it, I didn't feel embarrassed, and I didn't get tan lines – the most important thing!

I wasn't the only one happy about that.

I continued to read my book. The plot was about a princess who got on board on a slave ship when the Romans had attacked her village. She was strong, smart and eager to fight – something she had learned since young. When the Romans had noticed her presence on the ship and their Captain allowed them to use her, she had fought them all alone but lost the fight quickly. When the ship was later attacked by Vikings, the slaves together with the princess had a chance to escape but the princess wanted revenge first. She killed the Captain who was distracted by fighting one of the large Viking's before she jumped overboard after the other slaves to get away. Only the Viking that had fought the Captain wouldn't let her leave so quickly, following after her over board. It hadn't taken him long to catch her and bring her back to the ship where she was now a captive again.

I was so engrossed in the story (picturing me and Eric in the roles) I jumped, almost screamed when something heavy landed over my legs. My heart was pondering hard when I realized it was only Timmie who had lay down across my legs, purring slightly. I sighed in relief and closed my book. I was hungry, and it was getting late. After stroking the tiger for some minutes, I stood up, got dressed in my bikini and headed inside. In the kitchen I made myself some chicken and rice, eating fast so I could hurry up to Eric to be there when he woke up.

In the dark bedroom I crawled into the bed and on top of Eric. The rubber band I had used to pull my hair back while tanning I pulled out, so he would get a better smell of the sun on me. It was almost six in the evening when I felt his buzz in my mind start to shift, signaling him waking any minute now. With all of our alone time, I had plenty of time getting familiar with his body as he did with mine...

"_Lay back, I want to try something." I said softly, sitting on top of him. _

_Eric lay back on the bed like I told him, curiously looking at me. _

_I leaned in and placed a kiss on his chest before I darted out my tongue to trace him back and forth. I had only done this a few times if Bill requested it, but those times had always been straight to business and quite… "uncharming" for a lack of a better word. With Eric it was a totally different story. I wanted to taste every inch of him. The thought of having him in my mouth was exciting me to no end. Him doing me that way a few times now had probably fueled my own want to repay him. Still, I blushed when I held his eyes and lowered my mouth, kissing along the way down to his waistline. _

_Eric growled my name and I pulled back slightly, wondering if I did something wrong. Seeing his blissful and astonished expression gave my confidence a boost. Leaning down again, I bit lightly at his skin right above his boxers before I lowered my mouth even further. I didn't know where to put my hands yet, so I let them slide slowly up and down his thighs and v-line. On the way down I scratched my nails along his skin and hooked my fingers in his boxers, dragging it down along with my hands. Eric inventorially lifted his hips from the bed, letting me slide them down. _

"_Sookie…" Eric started on something I knew was supposed to be a reassuring that I didn't have to do this. I didn't want to hear it and looked up at him, trying to make an innocent look as I darted out my tongue and gently licked his tip. His sentence died in his mouth as he groaned instead. His hands were clutching the sheet beside him and I knew he was restraining himself. _

_Liking his response, I got bolder and closed my mouth around his tip, sucking lightly. The moan he gifted me with made me want to do this forever. Giving him pleasure, oddly gave me pleasure and I continued to explore what to do and where to go, how much pressure to apply and when to lessen it again with Eric's help. It didn't take long before he warmed me he was going to come, the cue for me to remove myself… if it had been Bill. With Eric I wanted to taste his come, wanted to get the reward for my willing tribute. So instead of letting him go, I pressed more of him in to my mouth and moaned while my nails dug into his thighs. That seemed to do the trick and I swallowed automatically when I felt something cold hit the back of my throat, while Eric shouted something out in a language I didn't know. _

_When he calmed down, I let go on him and crawled up his body, only to be forcefully pulled down and into a passionate kiss. I was still blushing slightly by my actions when Eric continued to talk in another language. _

I bent down and kissed his mouth just in time when he opened his eyes. The 'clicking' sound of his fangs snapping down echoed through the room and I was suddenly at my back with him on top of me. "I love to wake up this way." He growled and I smiled. "Good evening to you to." I mumbled slightly, still with my lips pressed against his. I opened my mouth and was granted entrance into his with my tongue immediately. I ran my tongue over his fangs and purposely dragged it along the sharp tip. Eric growled, taking my lust into new heights as he pressed himself slightly against me and sucked on the wound I had made on my tongue.

He eventually pulled back and locked my arms above my head and made to sniff me all over. I knew he was taking in the sun as he ran his nose sensually over the skin where he could reach while holding my arms, sometimes darting out his own tongue to taste. I moaned slightly before he hit a special spot, making me twist and pull away. I could practically hear Eric's smirk as he lowered himself and hit that spot again. I squealed and tried to get away again, only to be held back.

"Eric, stop it!" I giggled, but he didn't listen and continued to sniff, kiss and lick all the places on my body he knew I was ticklish.

"Eric, it is not funny!" I continued between laughs.

"Then why are you laughing, lover?" Eric murmured but didn't stop his assault on my body. He released my arms to my relief, but it was crushed when he used his hands to tickle me more. I screamed, pushed and hit him while trying to get away. I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe and eventually slumped down when Eric finally stopped with his torture. I was lying on my side, breathing heavily when Eric placed his final kiss on the back of my neck and spooned me from behind.

"Why I even bother to come up here, I don't know." I sighed, referring to his torture.

"That is because I am irresistible, lover and would chain you to my side if you didn't come to me." Eric answered simply and I rolled my eyes.

"You are so annoying sometimes…" I said amused and rolled myself away, turning so I could face him. My eyes darted to his naked chest and I felt the heat in my body respond ant once.

Eric smirked, noticing me ogling him. I smiled embarrassed and hid my face in his pillow making him chuckle. "And you are so cute sometimes." He said and dragged me closer to him.

"Sometimes? I am cute all the time!" I said innocently which made Eric laugh more. I loved the sound and wanted to hear it all the time. Reaching out my arms, I sneaked them behind his neck and pulled myself even closer so I could kiss him.

"Do you have to leave right away or can you wait a few hours... Or until tomorrow?" I asked suggestively, huskily from my desire.

He gripped me tight, but sighed, letting me know the answer before he even said anything. "I need to go lover. I need to meet with the others to plan the attack better. It needs to be flawless and secure. I promise to hurry and get home as fast as possible." He said while kissing me softly.

I sighed. "I know, Eric." I said, but knew he wouldn't get home in time to still have time to do what we wanted. I was getting desperate and had once or twice begged him to take me even though we had short with time. Eric, to my irritation, said he wanted hours to have me the first time so we really could enjoy each other.

At least, we had time to pleasure each other in other ways which didn't take too much time… "Can't I come with you? I should be planning this thing as well; I am going to be there when everything's happens you know…" I tried.

"You are not going to fight lover, you are going to hide until we have everything under control. To come with me and listen to us talk tactics and argue would only bore you." Eric said and stroked my back.

"Yeah, but still you want me to practice fighting" I said annoyed.

"That is only for backup... And because you look delicious when you fight." Eric smirked and I rolled my eyes again. I pulled away from him, suddenly my good mood was not so good anymore. I hadn't pushed for details or information at all. Now there were two weeks left and we would stand in the middle of it. It irritated me that he always said he would tell me, but always wanted to do it later… Why not just tell me and get it over with, if he was going to tell me anyways?

"Lover?" Eric questioned me when I pulled away.

"It's okay. You need to leave and I need a bath. I had a work out today…" I muttered and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I knew I was acting childish, but after everything…. I wanted Eric to trust me like I did to him. I heard him dress and shuffle around in the room before a knocking on the door startled me. I had just stepped into the bath and sat down quickly. "It's open." I said and looked at Eric when he entered the room.

He looked slightly guilty when he came closer and sat down on the edge of the tub. "I wish I could join you lover." He said and brushed his fingers along my shoulders.

"There isn't room for you right now anyway…" I said and tried to hide the shudder that went through my body when he touched me. We had bathed together several times, but now I was irritated at him.

"Why is that, my bonded?" Eric asked. I could hear his curiosity and slightly worry to his voice.

I tried to think of a good reason. "Because you tickled me." I said seriously, and had to turn my head away so he wouldn't see me smile. I was supposed to be mad, but it was impossible.

"So this is your revenge?" Eric said, now amused.

"Since staying here I have learned a lot about revenge, Eric... Yours hasn't come yet, but you know when it does." I said cryptically, proud of myself for coming up with that one so fast. He leaned down and I heard him slightly growl before he kissed me passionately. "I can't wait to see what you will come up with, my bonded." He said smirking before he pulled away and disappeared.

I smiled to myself. Now, I just had to come up with a suiting revenge. I knew I could ask Pam or Timmie for help, but I wanted to do this myself. He was not going to have that sexy smirk on his face for long; I would make sure of that.

….

I felt the warmth and tingling in my hands ease down into nothing as I calmed down and looked for the damage I had done. Pam was just getting back on her feet, her light blue expensive dress all dirty. I had practiced my light on her while her task was to get the pin in my hair away from me without getting blasted. She had done it a few times when she had moved to fast for me to watch, but eventually I managed to follow her void and just shoot my hand out on instinct. I was getting good, and my light had only gotten stronger ever since we came to live in our new home.

"You okay?" I asked, half teasing.

"I will after you join me in a hot bath." Pam suggested and brushed off some of the dirt she had collected in herself.

"Not even your Master was allowed to join me today, Pam." I said amused. That caught her attention and she straightened up. "What did he do now?"

I smiled, loving how she always would blame him. "Besides from holding his plan from me and being his annoying arrogant self?" I asked her.

"Yes, besides that…." Pam drawled and waived her hand like it really was something else.

I bit on my lip, wondering what to say when she rolled her eyes. "Sookie, can you imagine what kind of advantage it would be to have you knowing nothing about the attack so you can actually look surprised?"

I frowned. "No?" We walked along back to the house and stopped by the pool.

"Of course you don't. The Queen and her fucking child can notice your little human reaction to everything that goes on, that includes the start of an attack. They will suspect something is wrong the minute they look at you." Pam explained, hand in hip.

"I won't give anything away, Pam; I have lived my life controlling myself and my poker face every second with no pause!" I protested.

"From humans, yes, but we notice. Besides, it would be better that you don't know so Eric wouldn't be charged for treason against his Queen if someone would dare to accuse him. If he does the authority will probably take you, me and Timmie in for _questioning_ until one of us cracks…" Pam said raising an eyebrow. "But if we don't know anything, it would look less suspicious and Eric will look less involved in the takeover which will give us the pleasure of disappearing afterwards with no trouble."

"You don't know anything either?" I continued to frown, but kind of saw her point.

"Of course I do, I am his child. I can't go into a fight not knowing what the plan is." She said, rolling her eyes again by my silliness.

"But I am going to be in the fight as well!" I protested again.

"_You _are going to stay safe and hidden, Cupcake." Pam was obviously bored and annoyed, but I couldn't help to question her more.

"Who would accuse him for treason?" I asked then.

"No one would be that stupid, and those who do will be killed. But you'll never know… That is the main part of Eric's allies who will take over the throne and make it look like it was they all along." Pam said and checked her nails uninterested in the conversation.

"Who is this ally?" I questioned worriedly. For some reason, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. I didn't like the feeling I felt, that something was wrong.

"Do not concern yourself about that, Cupcake, you will see eventually…" Pam said and then disappeared, obviously finished with the conversation.

Well now, I was only more concerned. I tore off my clothes and jumped in the pool only wearing my underwear. The water was cold and silent, making my head clearer. Eric said he was going to tell me his plan, but if it was such an advantage to have me not knowing anything, why would he tell me? Or was he postponing his explanations to me until there was no time to tell and I had to go into the fight ignorant. Whatever they said, I would not _hide _no matter what. I was not going to sit and wait for them to finish fighting and hoping that the right side would win. No, I would definitely do my part and help.

**Eric POV**

I was getting _mildly _frustrated over my alone time with my bonded always got disturbed one way or another. As the days went by, we didn't bother to try finding time for ourselves… We just took the opportunities we were given. I wanted her so badly, almost giving in and fucking her senseless, before I gained my control back and restrained myself. When I could finally feel myself buried deep inside of her, I would have plenty of time to enjoy myself and pleasure her. I wouldn't have her in a quick fuck and then leave her afterwards. No, she was better than that. Thankfully we could compensate with me eating her out, or she sucking me dry. I got instantly hard as I thought about her little round mouth around me. The first time she wanted to do it, I didn't think she knew how close to danger she was. She was perfect in every way, making me one step away from losing control.

The thoughts of her was so distracting I had to excuse myself and end the meeting quickly. I flew home as fast as I could and was pleasantly surprised when I found my bonded almost naked for me in the pool. She was floating on her back relaxed, but when I lowered myself closer I could almost hear her brain working in thoughts.

I studied her for a while, thinking of this morning. Her playfulness and teasing was driving me insane, only wanting to have her as mine, protect her and feel for her even more. Her promises of revenge made me curious to what she would come up with. I couldn't say I was concerned, but rather excited. I waited eagerly for it to come. Through our slightly open bond I could feel her turmoil settle, and calm, security and wholeness wash over her as I lowered me even closer. She opened her eyes and they connected with mine immediately. "Hello, my bonded. Enjoy your night?" I asked her amused.

She continued to float in silence before she finally answered. "Most of it."

I narrowed my eyes slightly, liking the way she was challenging me. I watched as she got up from the pool and landed beside her. "May I ask which parts?"

"No." She said like nothing was amiss. I let my eyes wander down and up her wet body for a second before forcing away my body's response to her. I wondered if this new attitude of hers was my revenge. She usually was greeting me in a very different manner…

"Have you any plans for the rest of the night, my bonded?" I asked her, taking her clothes and followed her into the house.

"I do, actually" She said and continued into the hobby room and through the secret way. I followed her and wondered why she didn't just ask me to take her up in the library… That would be much quicker than walking through the whole house…

"Care to let me know your plans, lover?" I asked, even though I had a hence she would answer that question with a satisfying answer. It was just one hour left until sunrise and I wouldn't mind some quality time with her…

"Of course, Eric. Oh, thank-you!" Sookie said and seemed to "forget" to tell me her plans when she noticed I had her clothes in hand. She grabbed them and smiled sweetly at me before she disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, locking it.

I was a little confused. She seemed very _off, _but I could feel that she wasn't angry or that anything was wrong. She actually didn't feel much at all, like she was emptying herself of any emotions. I shrugged and levitated from the floor, lowering myself through the floor and into the library. I used my vampire speed and found Pam in her room. "How did the training go today?" I asked her.

Pam was sitting in her pink jumpsuit, reading what I knew was "Dear Abby" when she looked up. "She is getting better."

"And?" I pushed for more. Was everyone trying to annoy me today?

"Her light is getting brighter every day and her reaction is faster. She actually hit me a few times when I used vampire speed." Pam explained, not taking her eyes away from her book.

"Good." I nodded.

"How is planning fucking Sophie-Ann over going?" She asked, raising one eyebrow.

"We will meet every night this week and next week before the attack next Friday to discuss more." I said, telling her that we weren't completely ready yet. But we would be.

Pam nodded and I left her in her room. Opening my bond to Timmie, I found her somewhere far away, probably out hunting. Sookie was at the library reading her book, ignoring me when I entered. She did however turn in her seat when I sat beside her and leaned back into my body. I played with her hair and smelled her, eventually smelling her tempting arousal fill the air. I didn't try to hide my growing member that would poke her underneath her back, making her own arousal more pronounced. The sun would be rising soon, still, I didn't say anything and neither did she. I was just about to kiss her and get to my resting place when she closed her book and threw it on the table beside us. She wiggled around and crawled into my lap. I followed her every move with my eyes and groaned when she settled her weight on my hard on and rocked back and forth.

I gripped her hips tightly, pushing her even harder down in my lap. Her arms came quickly around my neck when she pulled me into a forcefully kiss. Her warm skin, racing heart and divine smell was making my fangs itch as I cursed myself for why she didn't do this earlier.

My lover pulled away, needing to breathe. "Eric." She panted as I made love to her neck with my mouth.

I only hummed in her skin in reply. "How much time?" She panted again and I only pulled away from her neck enough time to mutter my reply. "Twenty minutes."

I loosened my grip on her hips and roamed them around her body before I ripped away the t-shirt she was wearing. She was moaning, arching her back to give me full access to her chest.

"Eric?" She breathed again.

I groaned in response as I didn't want to part my mouth from her lace covered nipple. "Eric, I want to try something." She moaned and grinded against me even more.

That made me pull back, but I didn't let go of my grip around her. When she wanted to _try something _it was something I knew would give us great pleasure in a new and creating way. Well, for me nothing was new, but everything was for my lover, since Bill didn't know how to take care of a woman or show her what could be done to make pleasure between bodies.

"You can try anything you want, lover." I said and kissed her passionately.

She smiled into my kiss until she pulled back. "Wait here." She said mysteriously before she slid out of my lap and hurried away.

Her seducing eyes made me wonder what my lover had in mind. She didn't seem shy, so that was strange. Rubbing the outside of my pants I fantasied about what she would bring back. By the gleam in her eyes, I would bet some sort of rope, cuffs of blindfold. She was still sending me lust through or slightly open bond, making me twitch in my pants. Not wanting to waste any time before the sun came up, I undressed.

I was startled when a sound by the door pulled me out of my fantasies. I froze for a second when Timmie was standing in the door, frowning as she looked at me. I was first confused for why she was staring at me like something was very wrong, but then I started to feel the prickling on my skin. The slightly burning sensation of she suns first rays made me stand up abruptly. I snatched my clothes and shot up, into my bedroom to the security of the darkness.

The lust I had felt was gone and I narrowed my eyes as I found my lover lying in bed, sleeping. I had been so busy in my lust and fantasies I hadn't heard her above, or noticed her part of the bond die out when she fell asleep. I snapped my fangs out, closing in on the bed as I stared at her. That fucking tease would have been dead had it been any other women to lead me on like that. Not that anyone would have dared or wanted to leave me like that. My lover was truly something for herself. I was impressed of her own self-control to pull away from me, knowing very well that every cell in her body had been turned on.

This definitely was a silent message, a silent revenge from her. I smiled amused, still with my fangs down and crawled into the bed careful not to wake her. How she almost made me fry in the sun I was going to use against her. This was not over. I didn't pull my fangs in before I succumbed to the sun, a silent message in return for her when she would wake up. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough!


	35. Chapter 35

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! **

* * *

**Sookie POV**

I woke up with a smile on my face. I had actually managed to fool Eric last night! Faking the lust, want and need for him was no problem and I once thought about just forgetting my little plan and have him already. But I knew we hadn't time anyway and thought my little plan would be fun to try out.

I had to close my end of the bond tightly, and to think of something to kill my lust before relaxing completely. I hoped I would be able to sleep before he noticed my absence, something I discovered I had when I opened my eyes to the beeping alarm a few hours later. But my plan wasn't completely finished. I turned in my bed and looked at Eric lying beside me. I shivered slightly, not knowing what to feel about the time he would wake up again.

Rolling closer, I inhaled deeply to smell his masculine scent before I climbed on top of him, resting my head on his chest. I rubbed my hands along his torso, feeling his muscles before I noticed he was completely naked (not that I really was surprised). My body responded to him immediately as I let my hand drifted around him. My nipples hardened together with _him_ and I felt uncomfortable heat gather between my legs. The reminding stage of the plan was near, but I didn't know if I wanted to do it or not. I had thought about leaving my own juices he seemed to like so much on his lips, but now that I was thinking about actually doing it, I felt embarrassed and dirty in a bad way.

It had sounded funny in the beginning, being away shopping or something with Timmie when he woke up to taste me on his lips. My thoughts had drifted into combining mine _with his_, but I felt like I was violating him when he couldn't protest in his rest. Not that I thought he would, but getting him off like he was like this was almost more embarrassing and dirty then getting myself off…

But just picturing what he would do when he woke up, especially after what happened last night (I didn't really expect it to go unnoticed) and if he woke up with my essence on him tonight, made me giggle and blush. I knew I would either get my way; him skipping the meeting for today and making love to me instead, or I would get a hell of a payback before he would go to the meeting. I didn't know what it would be, and that concerned me and excited me at the same time. I didn't want to be away if he decided that he would skip the meeting… But I knew how important the meetings were, for all of us and didn't know how the thousand year old Viking would look at it… Maybe he would think that he had plenty of time to _let me know what he thought _later… Or wouldn't do anything at all?

I had been lost in my own thoughts since he came home last night, trying to brush him off his pain and make him confused. It seemed to work, and I didn't want him to think I was desperate and only teased him to get more of his attention or force him to do something he didn't want to do (too quickly and on borrowed time) when he woke up either. With that thought, I decided that it would probably be best to be gone from the house when he wakes up, and act ignorant like before… if I dared to do it. Heat was still making itself noticed between my legs and I rubbed them together to get some relief. I wanted to, but the embarrassment was holding me back. It wasn't like me to do stuff like this.

I leaned up to look at him and noticed for the first time his fangs. I shuddered by the look of him, not the soft and peaceful man he usually looked like in his rest. Now, he looked like sleeping danger waiting to pounce when you least expected it. Leaning closer, I kissed his cheek before crawling even closer to reach his lips. It was kind of weird feeling his teeth and mouth with my lips and tongue when he didn't respond at all, but I had gotten kind of used to it by now. Reaching up with my hand, I pushed his upper lip back with my fingers so I could look at his fangs. He must have gone into his daytime rest without retracting them. He had let me look at them before, but this was totally new. I could watch them all I wanted to until I got tired. Unless he could pull them in unconsciously that was… Were they out because he was angry or turned on? I shivered again by the thought, not really believing that he had gotten angry at my little game… But I had closed the bond, so didn't really know for sure, even though I didn't believe him to be angry.

Thought of his reaction if I did follow my plan decided for me what do to. I leaned down and kissed him before I darted out my tongue to trace his fangs like always. I allowed one of my hands glide down between our bodies towards _myself._ I felt heat rise immediately, but didn't know if it was only embarrassment or a little lust as well. I didn't need to think long about what Eric had done to me down there before I was certain it was lust. I kept on tracing his fangs and kissing him, before I felt him grow underneath me right where my hand was working. I moaned and dropped my head to his chest, not able to hold it up anymore.

Taking care of myself like this was not something I usually did. I had only done it a few times before Bill decided to feed me his blood and when he thought it was time to take my virginity away. After that, I had started doing it a little bit more (often when he was unable to make me orgasm) but had never really done it that much... I felt dirty doing it _on top_ of Eric while grinding myself slightly on him, but dirty in a good (slightly embarrassing) way.

It didn't take me long before I climaxed. I arched my back and removed my hand so I could rub myself on Eric. My breathing was uneven and shallow, but I smiled and kissed Eric's chest a few times, relaxing. I hovered slightly above him then, and kissed his lips again. I placed my hands on myself again and felt how wet I still was. Gathering my juices on my fingers I brought them up and traced his lips with them. I got curious and lifted them to my own lips, tasting myself. I decided liked Eric's taste much better than my own salty taste. Prying his lips open, I eased my fingers into his mouth before I pulled back to gather some more juice before I repeated the action a few times. When I deemed myself finished, I leaned down to kiss him again, tasting myself on his lips before I ran my tongue along his fangs. I pressed it into his tip and felt a little pain when it made a little cut. Letting my blood drip into his mouth before it stopped bleeding, I pulled back up into sitting position.

Eric was still hard underneath me I noticed. I was satisfied with the result, and was excited and afraid for what he would do when he woke. It was still a couple of hours and I would have plenty of time calming down so I could act like nothing was wrong when he did.

…

"This is great, isn't it?" I smiled to Timmie while ducking under a branch.

"Yeah…" Timmie said, still a little suspicious of me. I kind of understood why, when it was ME that had suggested we'd take a run in the forest to work out… It wasn't as bad as I had thought and I found I liked it much better than running inside on that stupid machine. The sun had been hot, but it was on its way down and wasn't as strong anymore. I hadn't told Timmie why I wanted to run so late in the day, even though she knew I usually wanted to be with Eric when he woke up.

We jogged through the forest in silence, me breathing heavily and Timmie completely fine. I had increased my endurance and was in much better shape than I used to. But I was so anxious for the moment I would feel Eric's buzz in my brain start to stir I couldn't concentrate on my breathing at all.

We were far away from home when I first felt it stirring. Usually it took some time before it was established fully, but now was the exception. I hadn't expected the force of anger I felt through the bond, and almost fell on my face with the strong emotion. I closed the bond quickly, suddenly afraid and anxious in the bad way. Oh my God, was he really angry at me? I had thought my little prank would be funny, but now I understood he obviously didn't. God, he probably though I did it to get him to sleep with me. Maybe he thought I had become one of those fangbanger's that threw themselves at him?

"Are you coming?" Timmie said suddenly, pulling me out of my horrible thoughts. I had stopped running and it took a few seconds before I nodded and ran after her again. I really didn't want to go home and face him now that he was angry. Or would he come for me?

I didn't know how far or for how long we had jogged, but eventually I recognized where I was and knew we were home. Out of the forest I spotted the large house and reluctantly slowed down. I didn't know if Eric was still here or not, but I didn't want to see him, not now. I felt tears gathering in my eyes and swallowed down the lump in my throat. _Why did I do it?_

I opened the bond slightly to check where he was. He was far away from here, feeling impatient and still angry.

"Sookie, what's wrong?" Timmie asked, successfully dragging me out of my thoughts again.

"Nothing." I said shakily and followed her into the house and into the kitchen.

"Really, cause you look like a deer caught in headlights." She looked at me curious.

"It's just Eric." I explained and hoped she wouldn't dig anymore.

Her gaze glazed over until they settled on me again. "He is angry." She confirmed. I knew they had exchanged blood a few times, making them able to feel each other as well.

I nodded. Timmie only shrugged. "He is probably at Fangtasia and is getting tormented by the humans or Andre."

I nodded again, faking my agreement but I knew better. I had felt his anger towards _me_ when he first woke. I cringed slightly, wondering what I should do now. Hiding wouldn't work. Acting normally wouldn't work. I could apologize to him though… That was probably it! My fear about him feeling violated was probably right.

"You know we ran for two hours straight, right?" Timmie suddenly said as she drank down a full bottle of water after handing me one.

I looked at her surprised. "Really?" I had been so caught up in my own thoughts it had only felt like minutes.

Timmie nodded. "And you didn't complain once" She said beaming.

I smiled back, trying to hide the nervousness I was feeling. "In that case, I need a shower." I said and looked down at myself. Grime and sweat was dominating my clothes. Timmie nodded and I hurried out of the kitchen towards the mirror-room and into Eric's bedroom. I quickly undressed and turned on the shower.

I stood under the hot spray of water for what seemed like a lifetime, tearing up now and then when thinking about what I had done. I was just about to turn the shower off, when I was pressed forcefully into the shower wall, my front squeezed against the cold tiles. Eric sharp fangs were pressed against my neck, with the rest on his naked body into my backside. The nightmare I had of him a while ago when he had tackled me to the ground, demanding me to say I was his replayed in my head.

"Hello, _lover_." He hissed.

**Eric POV**

I was dreaming, something vampires usually didn't do, about my lover. I wanted to touch her badly, but couldn't get my limbs to work. When the dream dimmed away and I woke, the first thing I noticed was the taste of my lover in my mouth. It tasted like her cum and her blood mixed in my mouth and on my lips, making all of me twitch in delight. The beast I usually easily controlled took over my body and I popped my eyes open, ready to fuck her into sanity. That little teasing minx was asking for it!

Finding the bed empty however and the feeling how far away she was from the house made me growl out in anger. She dared teasing me like this and then disappear?

I was about to leap in the air and track her down when my phone rang with the certain ringtone making me freeze in place. I cursed, picking it up. "Speak!" I growled impatiently.

"Northman, the Queen is bringing in backup." The gruff voice on the other line said.

I cursed again. This was not good.

"How many?" I growled again, angry for this to happen _now. _

"_A few dozen. We need to gather and make a better plan." _

I clenched my fists in anger before trying to calm down and tame the beast. "It needs to be done quickly; I have something that needs to be taking care of tonight."

"_Fine, we will meet you at your bar." _The gruff voice said again and hung up.

"Fuck!" I yelled out and dressed quickly.

…

I kept track of my bonded, only halfway listening in on what the other vampires discussed. It only made me angrier when they decided that we should continue with or first plan. I nodded in agreement before taking off toward home and my bonded without saying anything else. My clothes were already gone when I found her in the shower. My beast was coming out to play and I forcefully (while making sure she wasn't hurt) pushed her towards one on the shower walls.

"Hello, _lover." _I hissed and pressed against her.

"Eric, I'm…" She gasped, but I wouldn't let her finish.

"You what, lover? Sorry for your revenge to work so perfectly?" I suggested.

"Eric, I…I, I didn't..." She stammered as I pressed my fangs a little more down in her skin, but not breaking it.

"You didn't think your revenge was a little harsh? That I would enjoy waking up and finding you far gone in such state you drove me to?" I hissed again, enjoying her warm body against mine.

"Please…" She breathed and I suddenly smelled her slightly fear.

I pulled back to let the pressure off her and spoke in a much softer tone. "You didn't think I would get back at you?" I asked her and lifted her up in my arms bridal style. Her fear was gone, replaced my confusion and then lust. She squirmed and tried to get away while I turned off the shower and carried her into the bedroom. I disposed her on the bed and didn't let her stop bouncing on it before I was on top of her, kissing her deeply.

I grinded myself into her, letting her know what her revenge did to me. "You are going to be the death of me, Sookie Stackhouse" I said, pulling back from her lips.

I didn't let her respond, kissing her again and claiming her lips. Her lustful scent was quickly filling the air and I felt she was relieved for some reason.

I restrained her hands by her sides with my own and quickly kissed down her body to my own place of heaven. She was already slick with need, waiting for me to touch her. I didn't hesitate and groaned as my tongue connected with her sex. The same taste I had in my mouth this morning without the blood filled my mouth as my lover writhed beneath me. I held her down, before I pulled back from her. I looked her in her lust filled eyes and smiled, showing my fangs to her. "You will like my own little payback, lover." I reassured her before diving down between her folds again.

I had her to the brink of climaxing several times, always pulling back just in time. I wanted her to suffer a little, making myself suffer in the process with her. I was almost humping the mattress with lust clouding my head, but I didn't want it to end already. Her pleas, begging and cries of pleasure, then disappointment when I pulled back was too satisfying to hear. When she almost started to weep for real, I granted her what her body had been craving for so long. I had my tongue inside of her, and let go of her wrists so I could use my hand as well.

Her own hand immediately appeared on the back of my head, holding me against her and preventing me from pulling back.

Her inner walls were already cramping around my tongue, when I pressed my fingers on her nub and pressed down hard. Her body lifted from the bed, I actually had to use some strength to hold her down. Quickening my speed inside of her, I sucked in all of her juices while dragging out her release. When she was coming down again I pulled out and bit her inner thigh, making her explode once more. The hand she was fisting on the back of my head gripped me so hard I thought I would have a bald spot when she would let go. But the tugging pain, her taste, screams, sweet blood and perfect body made me loose myself and release together with her. I growled loudly into her thigh and again thought of how she made me come without even touching me first. At least _down there_.

Pulling out my fangs, I didn't bother to seal the wound before I crawled up her body. I wanted her to remember this every time she looked down at it. Her heart was beating so fast I glanced up to look if she really was okay. Her face was all flushed and she was breathing harder than I thought was possible in her little human body.

Afraid of smothering her, I kissed her chest, boobs, neck and face, letting her lips and mouth free to breathe. Her eyes were closed but snapped open when I pressed myself against her. I knew she needed some time to recover, but I wanted to feel her against me. "That was only the warm up, lover." I whispered hoarsely.

Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't say anything, only kept breathing. I could feel her still cramping and twitching in her legs and between.

I had played her body for two whole hours now, and when I realized she needed more time to recover than I thought, I rolled off her before pulling her towards me. A thin layer of sweat on her skin made her shine. She rested her head against my chest until her heart slowly started to slow down from the heavy beating along with her breathing. "You almost killed me." She breathed, making me chuckle.

"You didn't like my repayment?" I asked her teasingly.

"What do you think?" She said and pushed on my shoulder so I would lie on my back. I did as she wished and snaked my arms around her when she leaned over, placing one of her legs over mine.

"I think we are not finished, lover." I said and puller her down for a kiss.

She pulled back after some time. "I thought you were angry at me." She said and I could see the nervousness reappear.

"I was never angry at _you, _lover. I was angry that you would tease me like you did and be gone in the morning so I couldn't make love to you like I wanted right away. You have permission to revenge yourself all you want on me if you just use that method and stay with me until I wake." I explained and smirked.

"Oh." She said, blushing. "Why did you go then?" she asked.

"I was about to go and find _you_, when my phone called. It was important and I had to leave for a while." I explained again.

"Was it about the Queen?" She asked.

I nodded. "She has more vampires coming to her court. She is probably planning something big for when we arrive." I said and looked at Sookie. "Don't worry; we will storm her no matter how many lifeguards she tries to protect herself with." I added when she looked concerned. "Now, let's forget about the Queen and continue with my repayment." I said and flipped us over so she was again was underneath me.

I wanted to tell her how much I felt for her. How much she meant to me. How I could never exist forever if not she was by my side. Her hands on my back pulled me closer and I poured all of my feeling into the kiss and through our bond. Her legs closed around my hips, making her angle easier for me to enter, but I held back a little more and instead pulled back from the kiss, but continued to send her my feelings and readied myself to finally enter her. Her innocent eyes looked at me with the same feelings, and she smiled. I couldn't do anything more than to smile back.

We stayed quiet in place, only staring at each other while smiling, the tears gathering in my bonded's eyes. I was about to push forward when a large noise followed by the house shaking and windows rattle violently snapped my attention away from her. It was almost like an earthquake and I sat back on my legs while Sookie scrambled up herself.

"What's happening?" She said frightened as we both looked around. Suddenly everything got quiet and I listened with my vampire hearing. I growled slightly and looked at my bonded. "Stay here." I commanded her before I slid out of the bed and got dressed.

I ignored her shouting my name and flew down in the library, through the halls and into the living room. The first thing I noticed was the large whole in the wall. I smelled blood, and watched as a bloody and beaten Pam stood from the floor on shaky legs before she healed and stood normal. On the other side of the room, an equally bloody tiger was standing, but in much better condition than my child. I growled again and got their attention.

"Oh, Master, did we interrupt anything?" Pam said like nothing was wrong.

I growled again and snapped down my fangs at her. "What happened here?" I said, motioning to the large hole in my wall.

"What do you mean?" Pam played dumb, and placed one hand on her hip. "Oh, do you mean that hole? It was your pet's fault, she threw me through it." She snarled and stared at Timmie with her fangs bared, ready to pounce.

"Pam." I snapped and she straightened up and looked away from Timmie with annoyance towards me.

I shifted my gaze to the tiger and got eye contact. Using my glamour so she would understand me I commanded her to change. She did, without hesitation and almost started to speak when she wasn't even fully human yet, making her voice sound weird before it turned natural.

"Master! Pam sold me to some butchers and they almost skinned me alive!" She exclaimed. "Hadn't they removed the _silver chains_ away from me before they started they would have succeeded!"

I heard a gasp from behind me and turned around to find my lover, all dressed and horror in her face. "Pam?" I questioned her angry.

"What, she deserved it!" She snapped and I had my hand around her throat before she noticed me move.

"What if she hadn't gotten away?" I snarled and loosened my grip so she could answer.

"Unfortunately, she _did_, now, everything is fine." She said and I narrowed my eyes and tightened my grip on her.

I had been slacking with my punishments I presumed. "As your Maker, I command you." I took a break for effect heard my lover take in a breath. "To sleep in the ground for one month. You are not to wear any expensive clothes and no nice shoes." I said and her eyes widened.

"Master!" She tried to protest when I let go of her neck. Pam didn't hate sleeping in the ground to much; only getting _everything _dirty in the process was what irritated her. And of course, wearing cheap clothes and ugly shoes was her way of nightmare come true. "You are also going to drink True Blood. One month straight, with the exception of when we are storming the Queen. " I added in my command before I turned to Timmie who was still bloody, her black hair slick against her. "You okay?" I asked her, walking over and checking her for myself.

"Yeah, I ate them." She muttered, making me smile slightly. "Sorry for the wall." She said then, making my smile disappear when I looked at the hole. I had some work cut out for me, alongside with everything else. This was my safest house of all the safe houses. That meant I would raise a new wall by myself, not feeding anyone my blood so they could do it for me. I didn't want to take the risk for my glamour to fade of them afterwards and I didn't want to kill them because of my lover.

Pam huffed in obvious annoyance and dissapeared from the room. I looked back to my bonded who had watched everything play out before her. She looked concerned on Timmie and came closer. "Are you sure you are fine, sweetie?" She asked Timmie uncertainly.

"I am fine, Sookie, promise. Sorry if we…. Interrupted something… again." She said and smelled the air. I knew she could smell the sex that was evident on both me and Sookie. Sookie blushed, but acted normal. "It's okay."

"Are you going to punish me for ruining the wall?" Timmie asked me then.

I stared at her for a while, knowing she really didn't deserve it. I completely understood her anger towards Pam. "No. Just clean up this mess so I can build a new one." I said and dismissed her.

Pulling my bonded into my body, I kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry." I said and hugged her tight.

"For what, it wasn't your fault" she said and looked up at me. Her stomach chose that moment to grumble and she clutched it embarrassedly.

I chuckled. "I think I need to feed you, my bonded." I said and dragged her along into the kitchen. "What do you want, lover?" I asked her and directed her to sit.

"You cook?" She asked surprised.

"Not at all, but for you I will try." I said and smirked.

She returned the smiled before standing and came to hug me. "In that case, I'll make my own food if you don't mind. I have had enough of Timmie trying to make me something…"

"As your wish, lover." I smirked and bent down to kiss her before taking her seat. I watched her making something that smelled really bad, but kept my thoughts to myself. When she sat down opposite of me, I forgot all about the smell however, watching the food pass her lips and her jaw move before her throat swallowed it down.

She had sounded so happily surprised when she had asked if I cooked, making me want to learn how to do it, so I could make her something good one night. I noted to myself that I would check later on and find something easy to make. _Maybe something Swedish, something she hasn't tasted yet so she can't compare my food to anything else…_ I thought.

Sookie finished eating and I grabbed her before she could clean the dishes. The sun was rising to my irritation, and I felt defeated once again, robbed for our time together. I lifted her up in my arms and flew through the house to the library and up in our bedroom.

"It wouldn't have taken much time cleaning the dishes, you know?" Sookie said tartly when I let her down to the floor again.

"Yes, it would." I protested and smirked.

My lover rolled her eyes and walked into the bathroom. I followed her, but stopped in the door and watched her get undressed. She noticed me staring and blushed. "What?" she asked when she eventually felt a little uncomfortable with my staring.

"I am only admiring the view." I said serious, but waggled my eyebrows.

"Stop it." She said and covered herself but smiled. I frowned, not liking her covering herself and walked to stand in front of her.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever been honored to lay my eyes on, my bonded." I said and lifted her chin so I could look her properly in her eyes.

"You are just saying that." She said and pulled away.

"I am _dead_ serious, lover. You are the definition of perfect." I said, turning on the charm. She only rolled her eyes, but I could see the little smile hiding on her lip.

"Shower with me?" She asked.

**Sookie POV**

Eric stepped in behind me and I leaned back into his body. I had been so nervous and afraid when we had been in her the last time together, until I realized what he really was up to. I thought I had made him really mad, but was relieved when he _showed _me otherwise. Finally believing I would have him inside of me, Timmie and Pam interrupted _again. _

Now it was too late, or early, to do anything else than shower and get into bed and sleep. I was resting my head on my Vikings chest when I thought of how anxious I had been earlier tonight before I got my _repayment. _

He had been amazing as always, but this time he was raw, more animalistic than I had ever seen him, and it helped turning me on even more. Him denying my release so many times made me very aware of how good he could make me feel, and how well he knew my body… Like he owned it…When he finally made me fall over the edge, I fell harder than I ever had fallen before. When he bit me and I came again, the pleasure almost turned into pain before it ebbed away. My heart had beaten so fast I almost feared it would burst out of my body and my lungs collapse from my hard breathing.

"What are you thinking?" Eric asked me, sounding tired.

"Nothing." I said smiling. To my surprise and relief, Eric didn't pry anymore and I eventually fell asleep.

…

The days passed without anything exciting happening. I had been training, both with Pam (I think she took her anger from her punishment out on me…) and Timmie. I had progressed well, and my light had only gotten stronger every day. Eric was out on business most of the time, and we hadn't gotten any longer in or _intimate relationship _no matter how much we tried to steal time.

We would leave for New Orleans tonight, but we wouldn't go to the Queen's mansion until tomorrow. Eric had promised to tell me everything tonight about the plan, but I had reassured him that he only needed to tell me what I needed to know, nothing more. Apparently, we would act normal and I would start to read her human employees again until Eric would set off the alarm to his allies and the Mansion would be stormed. I would be _staying at my room in safety _if I could. We both knew I couldn't… Therefore, Timmie would come in and act as my personal bodyguard.

They would take out the Queen and all of those who were loyal to her, and I, Timmie, Eric and Pam would leave (together with Eric's loyal vampires) and his allies would take over the state. I felt a little guilty, but I couldn't wait until the Queen and her child was gone. I just hoped Hadley would be okay.

I was lying on one of the loungers, absorbing as much sun I could. Timmie in her tiger form was stretched out on the ground beside me, allowing me to tan without clothes. I was almost back to my normal color (without tan lines) and I felt more comfortable in my own skin than ever. I picked in the fruit I had brought and turned to my stomach so I could continue to read my book and tan my bottom as well. When I got too warm, I jumped in the pool to cool off before I continued to stretch out on the lounger with my book again.

A couple of hours later I was up in Eric's resting place and packing a set of clothes I would bring. I had showered and only wearing my towel when I felt Eric stir behind me. I turned in time to see him sit up in the bed. "Evening." I said and walked over to the bed.

"You showered without me." He said and pulled me on top of him.

"I did." I said and kissed him lightly. "I was all sweaty after lying in the sun for hours."

He inhaled deeply, smelling me and I automatically grabbed his wrist to hold his hands at bay. "You said we needed to leave quickly tonight." I said and looked down at him.

"We do, but I would have enjoyed a shower with you." He remarked before smirking. I knew he was thinking the same thing I did… We would have never gotten out again… I climbed off of him and walked into the closed. I didn't get far before my towel was ripped away and Eric was caging me into his arms.

"Eric!" I gasped, feeling his naked self against me.

"Yes, my bonded?" He said innocently and kissed my shoulder.

I craned my neck so I could kiss him back. I was going to tell him I needed to get dressed until his hands started to roam over my body.

"You're right, we need to go." Eric said suddenly and pulled back from me. I glared at him slightly for turning me on like that and suddenly pull away. It had been his way of _repayment_ ever since he couldn't hand out the full _repayment_ the first time when Timmie and Pam had interrupted us. I didn't say anything though, acting like I wasn't affected by his touch even though he could literary smell the truth. We got dressed and Eric levitated us down into the library.

Timmie was sitting in the kitchen and waited for us. "Pam said we should go without her. She needed a little time to get all of the dirt out of her hair, but would catch up eventually." Timmie explained and Eric nodded.

I had been shocked to hear what Pam had done and how close Timmie was to get skinned alive. I was certain Eric would have punished Pam in the bad way, but was relieved when he didn't. Seeing Pam in regular clothes brightened my mood. She didn't look ugly (like she said she did), but very human. She threaten to rip my throat out when I told her my thoughts, so now I only smiled inwardly each time I saw her.

"Let's go then." Eric said and we all got out of the house and into the car. I was already beginning to feel nervous for what would happen. I had a really bad feeling but didn't share my concerns with Eric. I tried to think of something to distract me from the upcoming events and thought about Sam. I had decided I would go see him after everything had calmed down. I also knew I soon needed to make the decision about the bond. Eric gripping my hand made all of the negative thoughts go away. I turned my head and smiled to him.

Finally reaching New Orleans a few hours later, we found a decent vampire friendly hotel. Eric booked us rooms (one for me and him together, one for Timmie and one for Pam). I felt a little excited of the prospect of getting my own room with Eric, hoping we maybe could get a little time for ourselves. I didn't even bother to glare at the flirty woman handing Eric our room keys. That excitement was quickly crushed when he handed me the keys. "Just go to the room. I have a last meeting before tomorrow." He said apologetic.

"Okay." I said and couldn't help sounding a little disappointed.

He pulled me inn and gave me a promising kiss before he let go and dissapeared. Now it was the woman behind the desk that was glaring at me, and I only smiled at her before me and Timmie headed towards the elevator.

I found our room quickly and entered. It looked ordinary, boring and typically a hotel room – not that I had expected anything else. I sat down in the couch and rested my head back, staring at the ceiling. It wasn't enough that I had to worry about tomorrow, but I had to do it alone. Timmie was busy _eating_, Pam was not here yet (not that she would have been likely to keep me company), Eric was planning the attack, and I couldn't go out in public in case someone recognized me and told the Queen we were here.

I ended up watching TV and fell asleep on the couch while I waited for Eric to return.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Beta' by Lady Doughnuts! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

**Sookie POV**

I woke up to someone stroking my back. The last thing I remembered was watching TV, but now I was lying in a soft bed. I opened my eyes and found Eric lying beside me.

"Morning, my bonded. You were asleep on the couch when I got back so I moved you here." He said, kissing my naked shoulder.

"Oh." I said groggily, still sleepy. Had I slept through the whole day? "What time is it?"

"It is right after sunset." Eric said, confirming my thoughts. "The Queen believes we will be driving from Shreveport tonight, so we have a little time before we need to leave." He said and kissed my shoulder again.

"Mmm…" I said and closed my eyes again. I felt so relaxed and comfortable in the bed I never wanted to get up. Instead, I forced my body to roll over so my back was tight against Eric's broad chest. I sighed and snuggled closer while I gripped his hand holding it close to my own chest.

We lay in silence for a while until Eric started to kiss my shoulder again. "I have something I want to give you." He murmured into my skin. I opened my eyes again and turned my head so I could look at him.

"I have wanted to give it to you for a while now, but have never found the perfect time to do it." He said and pulled back to stand from the bed. He walked over to his bag and pulled out something he hid in his hand. I sat up, frowning by his suddenly strange behavior.

I ignored his nakedness and concentrated on what he was holding in his hand when he came back and sat down in the bed and opened his palm for me to see what it was.

I gasped in shock. "I removed it from you when I found you and intended to give it back after you had washed off. But I forgot at the time and have never found the right time to do it." Eric explained as I reached out to touch the necklace.

"I thought it was gone forever." I whispered and caressed it while it ley in his hand.

"I am sorry I haven't given it to you earlier, my lover." He said and brought it up over my head and then around my neck where it hung.

Memories of how naked, lost and alone I had felt after losing Gran's amulet were truly painful. It had been the one thing I had brought with me in her memory, and when I had lost it… I had felt so crushed, so devastated and helpless without it. I looked down while I held it so I could look at it properly. I couldn't believe Eric had had it all this time. "Oh my God." I whispered and stroked it, feeling its weight in my hand.

"Can you forgive me, Sookie?" Eric voice broke through my thoughts and I noticed for the first time I was crying when I looked at him and he was all blurry. I didn't answer, but looked down at the amulet in my hand again. I had chosen this above all of the other stuff that belonged to Gran to take with me. Why, I didn't know, but I felt like she was closer to me when I wore this. I felt connected to her in a different way, like she was here.

I felt suddenly complete in a whole different way. I felt warm and stronger like a spark was back in my body. I wasn't mad at Eric for taking it. I wasn't mad that he had kept it from me all this time. I smiled through my tears and looked at him again. "I forgive you Eric. Thank you for giving it back, it means a lot to me." I said and leaned forward to give him a hug.

"I know it was your Gran's." He said and held me tighter when I loosened my grip on him.

"It was." I said and brought my hand up to touch it again. I remembered falling in sleep with it clutched in my hand, how I had whispered my prayers into it every night… "I fell like she is with me when I wear it." I said and finally pulled back when Eric let me.

Eric nodded in understanding and brought one hand up to touch it as well. "It suits you." He said and smiled little.

I smiled sadly as well. "Thank you. And for giving it back to me."

"It was yours, I shouldn't have taken it in the first place. But I was kind of distracted by other things at the time…" He said and looked away.

Distracted… Yeah, that was one way of call the disaster that he caused… But I wouldn't hold it against him anymore. We had talked about it and I had forgiven him, in some parts at least. I didn't want to think of it ever again. I just wanted to move on. I only nodded and stood from the bed, noticing I too, was naked.

I looked at him where he sat put on the bed. "You undressed me as well…" I said and turned so he could get a better look. His sad expression shifted immediately to a more primal, hungry look. I smiled, glad that I had successfully changed the depressing mood to something better.

"You hungry?" I asked, teasing him a little when I let my hands drift innocently over my body. He needed strength tonight, and I wanted him to feed off of me to get that extra strength and not from someone else.

Eric growled and suddenly stood in front of me. "Are you offering yourself to me?" He asked and traced my neck with one of his fingers.

"Maybe." I said teasingly. "Only if my Master wants me too" I knew it was a dirty trick, but talking to him like that always spurred him on and it didn't fail this time either.

I found myself again on the bed with him of top of me. Automatically I raised my legs to his hips and pulled his face down so I could kiss him.

It wasn't until a few long minutes later that Eric finally listened to my pleas and let me come while his fangs dug into my thigh. I felt him literary pull my life-force away, but with every pull my body responded with pleasure – something I loudly let him know.

My muscles were still twitching deliciously when Eric pulled away and walked over to the phone to order room service. By the time the food arrived I had managed to get myself together and body to start working again like normal. Eric watched me with a smug smile as I crawled out of bed and literary threw myself across the room towards the food.

We showered (where I took care of Eric for once, earning my own smug smile) and dressed before finding Timmie and Pam together in Pam's room. Eric and Pam went through the plan one more time. He would call her with their bond, it would be the signal for when they would attack. I wore a dress where I could hide my handgun loaded with silver bullets and with Eric's persuasion, the daggers now dipped in silver as well. Just in case… I didn't mind really, I was just anxious and hoped I wouldn't need any of it. I just wanted to get it over with.

Two hours later that was filled with going over the plan again _and again_, Eric and I were on our way to the Queen's Mansion.

"I won't let anything happen to you, my bonded, you don't need to worry. Just act normally and remember to _behave_ correctly." Eric said and glanced over to me.

I nodded, and swallowed hard. "I know."

As before, Eric stopped and got directed down in the parking lot by one of the Queen's guards. I opened my mind to look for something amiss. Eric knew the Queen would try something bigger this time, after she brought in her reinforcements. I didn't find anything besides the tourists and whatnot…

Eric found a spot for his car and helped me out like a gentleman. I held on to his hand a little tighter than I normally would when we stood in the elevator. I opened my bond to him, and felt his calm and determination, something that helped me calm down as well. The little ding sounded before the door opened and we were met by the Queen herself on the other side.

"Sherriff Northman" She said happily. "How wonderful of you to be here. My telepath is doing well I hope?" She said and shifted her stare to me.

"My bonded is doing perfectly fine." Eric said, keeping an emotionless mask on his face.

"By the smell, I believe she is doing more than fine." She said and giggled, making me blush. God, could she smell what we had done, even after we showered? Her very happy mood was making me more nervous. She was obviously up to something.

"Shall we start with the readings?" She said and motioned us to follow her. I felt surprised that she wasn't going to suggest something else we could do to pass the time like she used to.

We followed her through the now familiar hallways and entered the meeting room where we had done the previous reading. As I stepped over the threshold I felt something strange, like something moved through me. I felt Eric tense beside me, but when I looked at him he appeared unmoved.

"Just sit and wait and the guard will be right up with the first human." The Queen smiled and left the room and shut the door behind her, leaving me and Eric alone.

I frowned and looked up at him again. This time he met my gaze and I could see his worry, but I knew we couldn't talk. I reached out with my mind and found the room surrounded by vampires and a few weres. One mind caught me, and I didn't recognize it, but it was chanting something in a strange language. I froze. "Eric, I think something is casting a spell over us." I whispered. I had to tell him something to alert him of my hearings.

"Come here." He said and gathered me in his arms. "What do you hear?" He murmured into my ear so low I almost couldn't hear him.

"A woman is chanting something strange. I don't recognize her brain, and there are vampires and weres all around the room." I whispered back while pretending I was kissing his neck.

"A witch, I can smell her magic." Eric said and inhaled deeply. I was beginning to feel dizzy and ill and I had to concentrate on Eric's voice as he continued to whisper to me. "Did you feel something when you walked through the door?"

"Yes." I moaned, not in the good way before I clutched him tighter. "We need to get out of here." I whispered desperately, the chanting in my head getting stronger. Eric loosened his grip around me and walked over to the door. He gripped the handle but the sizzling sound and his cursing told me something was very wrong. "Silver." He said and looked back at me. I stood silently, trying to keep my balance before I stumbled over to him and tried to open the door with no success.

"Try the other one." Eric said and supported me across the room to the other door the guard had brought the humans through.

**Eric POV**

My senses were on overdrive when I held onto my lovers hand as the elevator took us up to what I knew was the lion's den. The Queen had brought new vampires to her house, and I didn't know whether she knew of our plans or had her own little game in her head.

It angered me when she asked how _her _telepath was doing. I just wanted to rip her to pieces already! Telling myself that she would suffer later helper me calm down alongside squeezing my lovers hand before we followed the Queen. I wondered if she thought she was fooling anyone with her act, but forced my pokerface back on.

I could smell the magic way ahead before I felt it. The only thing holding me back from taking my bonded and flying away into safety was that the Queen was with us. She wouldn't have guided us or dared to enter the meeting room if something was up. The coldness that drew through my body while stepping over the threshold made me worry. I knew my lover also sensed it when I felt her eyes upon me, but I ignored her in favor of the Queen, and kept my calm face on. I tensed slightly again when she told us we should just wait until the first human entered. If she left the room it would be only me and my bonded alone. This was definitely a trap.

I was about to grab her and drag her out when I heard more vampires gather around the room. I only stared hard at the Queen and _allowed _her to shut the door behind her. Calling Pam through our bond would be too soon, I thought as I surveyed the room. My bonded pulled me out of my own thoughts of how to proceed when she froze beside me.

"Eric, I think something is doing a spell over us." She whispered. I tensed even more, cursing myself inwardly for not taking my own feelings more seriously and disappeared earlier. I didn't know if the Queen was listening in on us or not, but I wouldn't chance her hearing anything my lover said anyway.

"Come here." I said soothingly and pulled her into my arms, asking her what she could hear softly so only she could hear it.

Her reply was not really that surprising, but it was still the possibly worst thing she could have said. I could both smell and feel the magic, but having it confirmed by my lover that someone was chanting over us made my skin bubble in anger. The witch or wizard would regret it if it somehow my bonded was harmed.

I asked her a few more questions but when she said we needed to get out of here, I couldn't agree more. I knew something was wrong with my lover, but released her to walk over to the door. I could smell the silver, but tried anyway. My hand burned and my strength started to fade immediately when I touched the handle. I tried to ignore it and pushed harder until I had to let go. _Fuck!_

"Silver." I explained to my lover over my shoulder. I looked around the room and noticed more silver. The Queen had truly gone over herself to keep me from breaking out of this room. My bonded got my attention back when she came over, obviously ill. My heart swelled a little when she pressed on the handle herself. I wondered if she even noticed my burned remains on it…

"Try the other one." I encouraged her and helper her over the room so she could try. I wasn't surprised when it didn't work and tortured myself when I tried as well, using more of my strength to force it open with no avail.

"Eric." My lover said and removed my hand from the handle. When I saw her hands starting to glow, it was my turn to restrain her. "We don't want to spoil the surprise just yet." I murmured into her ear softly. I closed my bond to her so I could hide my anger.

"We need to get out. God, I feel sick." Sookie said and bent over to throw up. I cursed when I saw it was blood that left her mouth and called Pam strongly through the bond. I didn't want to risk using more time to figure out how to get out. I talked soothingly to my lover as I listened in on the sounds of the takeover starting.

"Sookie." I said and lifted her into my arms and raised her head so I could look at her when she finally stopped throwing up. The area around her mouth was smeared with her blood, and she was bleeding from her nose, eyes and ears as well. "Dronningen vill angre på dette!" (The Queen will regret this) I hissed and tried to wipe the blood away.

"Eric, you are bleeding." Sookie moaned in pain and I realized that I was certainly bleeding as well. I held her hair when she gasped for air again before throwing up more blood. I bit my wrist and forced it to her mouth, but the little she managed to swallow, she only threw up again.

The sound of someone banging on the door before it was burst open, made me stand. I stretched out my hand to catch my sword that was flying through the air after Pam had thrown it in my direction.

"What the fuck, Eric?" She said and ripped out one of the guard's throats before she stared at us.

"Later." I growled. "Where's Timmie?" I snarled, ready to leave my lover in her paws so I could hunt down the witch that had caused her pain.

"I will watch out for her, Eric." Another voice to my right said, and I looked at the tall black-haired vampire. I nodded and followed her with my gaze to look at Sookie's reaction. I smiled amused when her awestruck face looked up into the vampire that I knew would protect her with her own life before I turned back to Pam.

My child's eyes were gleaming with excitement from the fight and bloodlust, something that made me proud. I clicked out my fangs and grinned back before I felt the wonderful feeling of my sword parting flesh again. I used my vampire speed and slashed everyone that stood in my way. Blood was pumping though me; my body was almost shaking with excitement as I hunted the one that had cast the spell along with the Queen and Andre.

I found the latter two in the throne room. The fear that radiated from the Queen almost made my knees week. Her child was fighting three of my own minions to protect his Maker and Queen. It was a pity he was so stupid and a disgusting vampire in general when he obviously was a good fighter.

Throwing myself into another battle I swung my sword forcefully, slicing heads from their bodies. Moving around the room, I found the white tiger with her jaws tight around a vampire's neck. I couldn't resist grabbing her tail and pulled her a little, like I had done home when she had showed me she was on Sookie's side. The deep growl she was already erupting increased tenfold before she bit down hard on the vampire, sending him to his final death before she turned to me. I tackled her to the ground before I looked her deep in the eyes.

"Find Sookie. Protect her." I ordered and let her go. I could practically feel the glare she was sending me, but she listened and ran out of the throne room.

Everywhere I looked there were vampires fighting. The smell of blood and death hung heavy in the air, fueling my vampire instincts and bloodlust. The Queen, her child and a few more guards were still fighting against us, but I knew they would slowly lose the battle.

I inhaled deeply, catching the smell of magic again and followed it. Fresh memories of how scared my bonded was were still lingering on my mind. Someone was going to pay for that! The magic got stronger the further down I went in the mansion. Stopped by a set of double doors I gripped my sword tighter, feeling it giving me more strength before I forcefully threw open the doors and stormed in.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw the scene in front of me. Three teacup humans were bound, gagged and had bite-marks all over them. On the other side of the room, a familiar witch was standing with her eyes closed, still chanting out a curse. Five or six vampires on the Queen's side snarled and dropped their fangs when I entered. The betrayal I had felt when I saw the witch quickly vanished when I got the whole picture. Growling, I didn't wait for the vampires to attack and made the first move. I used my sword, my free hand and my fangs on one to make as much painful damage as possible. One of the vampires tried to bolt, but I was on him immediately and made sure he wouldn't be able to get away by moving his feet.

I saw red, and continued to slaughter the useful vampires that held nothing against me. Biting and forcing kids was low and dishonorable. I ended the vampires quickly in different creative ways before appearing before the witch. Retracting my fangs and cleaning the blade of my sword, I shook her shoulder to get her attention.

"Octavia?" I hissed when she didn't respond. That made her snap opens her eyes. Tears gathered immediately and she started sobbing.

"Eric, I am so sorry! They threatened my kids!" She sobbed and I reluctantly petted her back for comfort.

"They are no longer in danger." I reassured her. She got to her senses and hurried over to her children. I stood silently and watched her removing the bonds and gags that were holding her kids while she mumbled softly to them.

When they started to cry as well, I rolled my eyes impatiently. I hated women who cried, but I hated children even more when they did it. A woman's cries didn't hurt my ears too badly at least. I needed to get back to the fight, but I couldn't leave without some answers.

"What evil did you curse us with?" I said, holding back the anger in my voice.

Octavia had been my one and only trusted witch, and now that trust was ruined. I didn't blame her, seeing I would have done the same if I was blackmailed by the threat of Sookie being harmed, but still. I know couldn't trust her anymore, not like I had used to at least.

"I am sorry Eric! They would have… abused…" She sobbed some more and I had to strain myself to hear her. "…and drained my children."

"What curses did you put over us?" I asked again impatiently, slightly growling.

"They wanted me to break the bond between you." She sober and clutched her still crying kids to her chest.

I stared at her frozen for some time before I opened my bond to Sookie. Only it wasn't any bond any longer, I couldn't feel her at all. "She rejected my blood and I bleed out hers." I confirmed, suddenly her violent throwing up and leaking making sense.

"I tried to use the least painful method. I'm sorry Eric, but I believed it wouldn't really cause you any harm. And I couldn't risk my children's life." She cried.

I nodded in understanding, but was panicking on the inside. What if something happened to my bonded, no she wasn't my bonded anymore… What if something happened and I couldn't feel it? "Stay here until it is safe, or use your magic to disappear." I ordered and used my vampire speed out of the room and found Pam in the foyer.

I killed her opponent quickly so I could get her attention. "Where's Sookie?"

"Timmie and _Beehl_ are protecting her" she snarled and yanked a guard close and sunk her fangs into his throat before ripping it open. "You need to fucking teach her what "Hide until safe" means when all of this is over!" She hissed before moving on.

My worry disappeared and I almost smiled amused. Of course Sookie wouldn't hide, what did Pam expect? The fact that Bill was with her bothered me though, but I knew he wouldn't hurt her. And if he did, he would be lucky if Timmie ate him before I got my hands on him. I cursed myself for closing the bond I had with Sookie in the first place before the fight started. If I hadn't, I would have known what happened, but I had believed it was better to shield her from my anger and bloodlust. Now, I regretted it when I couldn't feel her at all. It was almost like she was dead, even though I knew she wasn't. I could still smell her. Instead, I monitored the little bond I had with Timmie, ready to go to her if I felt anything suspicious.

**Sookie POV**

I whimpered when Eric left me, wanting to see who it was that managed to burst open the door. I heard someone talking and recognized Pam voice before I felt someone trying to help me up. I looked up into a woman's face. Her familiar face, together with the black hair and smile that didn't reach her worried eyes made me gasp.

"Isabel?" I croaked out.

"Hello Sookie, how nice to see you again, even though you look horrible." She said and pulled me to my feet. Her light familiar accent distracted me from my dizziness and I almost wanted to ask her about how things were going in Dallas.

"You are Eric's secret ally" I asked instead. Why in the world hadn't Eric told me?

"Stan couldn't resist Eric's offer to stake the Queen and take over the state." Isabel nodded. "And as the Sheriff of Dallas and Godric's good friend I wanted to support Eric as well."

"Thank you." I smiled and dried away the wetness I felt in my face and looked at my hands in horror when I realized everything was blood.

"Let's get you into safety. Can you walk by yourself?" She asked and pulled away.

I was still dizzy and sick, but closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before I nodded. Pam and Eric were already gone when I opened my eyes again and Isabel led me out of the door. I forgot about how dizzy I was feeling when I looked around at the chaos. Vampires were everywhere, moving around so fast I had a really hard time following them through the hallways and in and out of rooms with my eyes. I was so lost in watching them tearing each other apart I almost slipped in a pool of blood before Isabel caught my arms to steady me.

"Let's get a move on." Isabel said and dragged me along. I tore my eyes away from the vampires and concentrated on following Isabel through the hallways. In the foyer, we had to stop when one of the Queens guards pounced on Isabel. I hadn't seen her fighting at the fellowship church, but seeing her now was certainly scary. Pam always looked sweet and _normal_, but I would never willingly follow her into a dark alley. Isabel however, I would follow without any hesitation. She was almost like a caring mother, a person who was against violence of any kind. Seeing her fangs out, snarling and fighting the guard was more frightening than I had thought.

I stood memorized and watched her, until felt a sharp pain in my side and fell to the floor. I looked up into the familiar guard that had brought in the Queen's employees for me to read the last time I had been here. He had a knife in his hand and I knew he had used it on me, feeling the burning in the side of my ribs together with the warm feeling that was my blood soaking my dress. I stared at him shocked and jumped when he clicked out his fangs and threw the knife away. He yanked my arm and buried his nose into my neck. "You smell so good." He growled.

I panicked and grabbed one of the daggers Eric had insisted I hide under my dress and stabbed him in the back of his neck when I felt his fangs on me. He hissed and pulled away before shoving me violently into the wall behind me. The breath was pushed out of my lungs and I fumbled after the other dagger that was hidden under my dress. The guard snarled and pulled the dagger out of his neck before he threw it away and stalked towards me.

I looked around; searching frantically for Isabel who I saw was busy with another vampire. I gulped and wished I had thought about grabbing the gun instead of the last dagger when I had the time. Before I could dwell on it any further the vampire reached out and grabbed the arm I held the dagger in and twisted it painfully. I gasped and didn't think before I shot him across the room. Still panicking, I looked around to see if someone had noticed, but was relieved when no one had.

Isabel was still busy and instead of watching, I decided to help. Pulling the handgun from underneath my dress, I ran across the room and jumped over bloody remains to get a better spot. I moved to the staircase so I could sit down and relax at the same time. The dizziness, shock, and loss of blood was affecting my body, but I didn't want to lie down and be dead yet.

I aimed the gun, before I realized I didn't know which vampire was on our side or the Queen's side. Her guards were easy to spot in their uniforms, but the rest I could only guess. I knew of Isabel, Stan and a few others from the Dallas area but no others. I didn't even know which one of them was under Eric's command. I cursed Eric even more now, for not bringing me along to these meetings. Now, I felt really helpless.

"Come on." Isabel was suddenly in front of me again and dragged me along up the stairs.

"Wait, I can help you!" I protested and tried to get out of her grip.

"Timmie will come to protect you, until then you must hide and be safe in here." Isabel said, ignoring what I had said, and led me into a room.

I recognized it immediately, it was the same room that Eric and me had used each time we had been here. "I can't _hide_, I can help!" I protested again when I was finished looking around the room.

Isabel stopped and finally let go of me until she placed both of her hands on my shoulders. "I know you want to help, Sookie, but this is not a safe place for you." She said, just as the walls shook around us dangerously. "Stay here and Timmie will come for you. I promised Eric would look after you until then. Now, go and wash up, you look horrible."

I only stood and looked at her like she had gone mad. We were in a middle of a fight, and she expected me to go and wash up like nothing else mattered? And then sit around and wait for Timmie so she could some and be my babysitter? I felt slightly offended and narrowed my eyes. Before I could say anything though, she raised her hand and stopped whatever I was going to say. "Just do it, or Eric will kill me."

I could hear the stubbornness in her tone and only rolled my eyes. Eric wouldn't kill her. I knew I was getting nowhere with this, so reluctantly I walked into the bathroom. If I could wash off some blood, maybe I wouldn't feel so nauseas. I froze when I looked it the mirror before I ran over to the sink. My whole face was bloody, together with the hair near my ears. My mouth and all the way down the front of my blue dress was now colored dark by blood I knew was my own. I felt the urge to throw up again, but held it in, and started to wash myself in the sink. I almost actually started to think of the time I first had been on my assignment to help Eric and had gotten Long Shadow all over me when Bill had killed him. I got the most of it away, but my dress was a dead cause. I reentered the bedroom and found Isabel relaxing in one of the chairs. How she could be so calm when even _I _heard the fighting that was going on, I didn't know.

I was pacing back and forth impatiently waiting for something to happen, or for Isabel to say that we would join the rest. "You ran away, am I correct?" She suddenly in a Spanish accent and I stopped in my tracks.

"Yes." I said before I continued pacing. I opened my mind to look for brains or thoughts that would give me any clues on what went on, but nothing came.

"You love Eric?" She asked again.

"Then, or now?" I questioned, not bothering to hide my impatiens from my voice.

"Both." She said and I met her gaze.

"I was attracted to him, but I didn't love him." I said and continued to pace.

"And now?" She asked curious.

I stopped, hesitating before answering the truth. "I believe so."

"I can see that he loved you as well. Godric would have been very happy." She nodded.

That thought made me smile a little before someone clawed at the bedroom door. Isabel was up and opened it before I even saw her move. "We will talk later. It was good to see you again." She said over her shoulder before she was gone. Timmie was left standing in the doorway and I met her green eyes. She looked dangerous with blood smeared in her fur around her large mouth and between her paws. She strolled over the room while growling, and I felt cold shivers run up my spine. I felt so lucky I was in "her pack" and not her enemy.

I bent down to look at her for wounds when she did the same to me, finding the little slash I got from the guard with the knife. "I'm okay. Come on, we need to help the others!" I said, even though I knew she couldn't understand me. But talking to her made me feel safer, and she didn't try to stop me when I stood up and ran for the door.

Holding my gun tightly, I started down the stairs with Timmie behind me. I didn't get further than to the last step when a vampire jumped at me. I pulled the trigger out of reaction and got his whole weight over me. I fell backwards, but Timmie spared me from the vampire and ripped him away, causing him to fall down beside me. I had only silver bullets, so he wasn't dead. He groaned and hissed curses, but I ignored him and got up on my feet.

The only thing different from the last time I was here, was the blood. I had thought it was bloody here before, but now it looked like bloodbath. Timmie growled and pounced forward to bite another vampire in the leg. I realized then how I could see enemies from the allies and shot the vampire in his chest. Timmie continued to pounce on more vampires, showing me which ones I could shoot. I was concentrating so much on shooting those that Timmie pointed out for me I almost shot Pam when Timmie bit her as well.

People was dying all around me, it was blood everywhere, my adrenaline was cursing through me, I was hurt, sick and dizzy, but I couldn't help to stifle the little laugh that escaped my lips by the sight. Pam hissed and looked annoyed when she shook the tiger away from her leg before her stare settled on me. I swallowed nervous by the daggers she was sending me through her eyes, before she suddenly stood in front of me.

"Why do you always do the opposite of what you are told?" She huffed.

"I can help!" I said again, offended.

"This whole thing is wasted if you die." She said irritated before she was pulled back into the battle by two new vampires. "Get out of the fight, Cupcake!" She yelled at me, but I ignored her. A body came flying through the air and I had to duck to not get hit. I looked over my shoulder and saw the body was another vampire guard. I aimed my gun and shot him in the chest just in case he decided to wake up before I looked around again.

Timmie was crunched down before me, ready to pounce of whoever neared us. It was then I recognized a familiar voice calling my name. "Sookeh!"

"Bill?" I said and saw his person on the other side of the room before he was a few feet away. Timmie growled at him, and he wisely backed away.

"Sookeh, you shouldn't be with her, you could get hurt!" He said concerned, making me roll me eyes. God, didn't anyone have faith in me?

"Do something right for once in your life Bill, and get her upstairs and in safety." Pam hissed from beside us, still fighting the two vampires.

"No!" I protested and glared at Timmie when he let him past her.

"I'm sorry." He said and grabbed my hand and started to pull me back up the stairs again.

"Bill, let go of me! You can't just do this!" I protested again but he didn't listen.

We were quickly back in the familiar bedroom, and I glared at Timmie who had followed us. "Traitor." I muttered to her, who stared back at me before lying down on the carpet.

"Sookeh, you need to be safe." Bill said again and came closer to me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, not really in the mood of hearing what Bill thought I should or shouldn't do (or think, or say, or believe…).

"I am safe; I can take care of myself. Now leave Bill, go help the others." I tried to convince him.

"You need protection." He protested and I glared at him. He still looked thin and very… dead. He obviously hadn't had long time to recover from Andre.

"Like I said, I can protect myself. Besides, I have Timmie." I said and mentioned for the tiger.

"I am much better protection for you." He stated and I just wanted to rip my own hair out and die already.

"I don't want you here, Bill! Timmie is perfectly capable of protecting me, so we don't need you." I said angry.

Bill stood silent and looked at me a few seconds before he changed the topic. "You are pale." He said and reached for my face, bit I flinched away. Together with throwing up blood and everything else that had happened the last minutes or hours (I didn't really know how much time had gone by), I wasn't really surprised that I was a little pale. "And you are hurt." Bill continued and pointed to my side.

"It's nothing." I said and walked further away from him. When he followed me, I saw Timmie was paying attention and started to growl. Bill obviously took the hint and backed off a little. So now, she was standing up for me... "I can help you heal." Bill said calmly.

I didn't even wanted to know if he meant by giving me his blood, or what else, so I just repeated myself. "It's nothing, and I don't need your help."

"Sookeh, I am sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean for anything to happen like it did, you need to believe me." He said and looked hurt.

"I don't _need_ to do anything Bill, and I certainly won't have this conversation with you now! If you won't leave, you can just go and sit right over there and shut up." I said angry. I hoped Gran was busy with something else other than watching over me right now, because I really didn't want her to see me being so rude.

"Just let me say this." He protested. "I didn't care about the woman I was sent on a mission to retrieve for the Queen, and in the beginning when I met you it didn't change. But when it did, it changed quickly and I fell in love with you."

I looked at him suspicious, but didn't say anything. I was doing what I said I would; _not _having the conversation.

"Sookeh, I fell in love with you and I decided that I wasn't going to take you to the Queen, at least not without protection so she could take you away from me. You made me change, and you made me find my humanity again. I know I lied to you, but I was afraid you would reject me if I told you the truth." He said and I almost rolled my eyes.

"So instead you kept lying and took my virginity, got me beaten up, stabbed, shot… I can't even remember all the things anymore!" I said bitterly. I couldn't help it…

"I didn't mean for any harm to come to you, and I loved you as much as you loved me when… we made love the first time." He said desperately.

Yeah, I knew what love felt like now, and I certainly hadn't loved Bill at the time. I had been vulnerable after Grans funeral and he had taken advantage on me.

"Sookeh, I don't expect you to ever take me back. I know that I killed my chance with the only person I could ever love so deeply. But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." He said and I felt tears gathering in my eyes.

I hated him so much! "I don't know." I said and looked at him apologizing. When he walked into my life, he brought all of my problems with him. I just didn't know if I was ever going to forget everything I had been put through, just because of him.

Bill looked as if he was going to reach out for me again, when the doors to the hallway burst open and Andre, followed by two other vampires stormed in.

"There you are!" He said and dropped his fangs, looking straight at me. "I have been looking all over for you. Ready to be mine?" He hissed while smiling.


	37. Chapter 37

**Big thanks to everyone who reviews! **

**Beta'd by Lady doughnuts.**

* * *

**Sookie POV**

Bill looked as if he was going to reach out for me again, when the doors to the hallway burst open and Andre, followed by two other vampires stormed in.

"There you are!" He said and dropped his fangs, looking straight at me. "I have been looking all over for you. Ready to be mine?" He hissed while smiling.

It happened so fast I almost didn't react. Andre attacked forcefully, but Bill stood in between and lunged himself forward to fight him back. Timmie who had been lying down and relaxing was overlooked by the other two vampires; the last of them to enter paid the price. She pounced on him and he fell to the ground. I didn't think, only felt scared and still angry at Bill when I held out my hand and shot the last vampire with my light.

He was forcefully thrown back into the wall and crumbled on the floor before Timmie finished him as well.

By the time the two vampires were goo on the floor, Andre had Bill in a death grip. "Didn't you get enough of me? Want more punishment, Compton?" Andre snarled and Bill only hissed in reply. Andre threw him across the room, and Bill made a _humph_ sound before lying still.

"Bill!" I shouted, hoping he was okay and already forgotten how annoyed I had was with him. I turned back to see Andre speed towards me again, but this time, Timmie lunged herself forward to stop him. I hadn't any bullets left for the handgun, and I had thrown away both of my silver daggers earlier. Now, I regretted not letting Eric talk me into bringing more weapons. I reached out with my mind to find nobody close who could help; everyone was downstairs fighting, and I knew I was running out of time. Eric had said that Andre was twice as old as Pam, which meant Timmie wouldn't manage to take him down. I tried to check where Eric was and if he was still okay, but couldn't feel him at all. The feeling of Ice cold water running down my back froze me for a few seconds before I decided that he was probably still closing off the bond. Even though I usually felt his presence anyway, I didn't have time to think it over.

I did the first thing that came to mind and ran over to Bill while I paid attention to Timmie and Andre. I could see Andre was easily fending off any of Timmie's attempts to hit him, but she did a pretty good job keeping his fangs and hands at a distance from her own body as well. I sat down on my knees beside Bill who groaned when I shook his shoulders. "You need to get up." I urged him, concerned.

I placed my wrist at his mouth so he could bite me. I really didn't want to offer him my blood, but I needed his help and wouldn't let my own selfishness and anger get in my way. To his credit, Bill looked questionably into my eyes while frowning. "Go ahead, do it!" I urged him again and glanced back at Timmie and Andre. I was ready to use my light on him if I needed to, but Timmie was still able to hold him off. The sharp pain in my wrist got my attention back to Bill. I looked down at him as he sucked my blood into his mouth, looking like he was in euphoria. I felt a little nauseous again, but didn't know if it was still from earlier or if it was because his mouth was on my body.

I yelped when he sank his fangs even deeper down in my wrist and his hand flew up to hold my wrist still when I tried out of reflex to pull it away. His pale dead face looked a little better and more _alive_ after a while. I got a little dizzy but Timmie's whimper snapped me back and I tried to pull my wrist away again. When Bill didn't let go, I started to get a little panic. "Bill!" I shouted and he shifted his stare to me before I finally felt him loosen his grip on my wrist. I pulled it harshly away and stood with Bill mirroring me.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." He said and took my hand.

"No, we need to help Timmie! You, need to help Timmie!" I said and pulled my hand away from his again.

"Sookeh, Andre is stronger than both of us, we won't be able to fight him, even together." Bill said concerned.

I frowned, wondering he how they couldn't do it together when Timmie was doing fine (until now) by herself. "We can't leave Timmie with him, Bill." I said sharply.

"She will be fine. We need to get away before he can get to you." Bill said again. "I didn't give you my blood so you could heal and run away from the battle to save yourself!" I snapped angrily.

"Sookeh, please. You need to get into safety!" He protested.

"You can run as fast as you can and find Pam or Eric and tell them we need help while I stay here with Timmie." I suggested. "I can use my light on him to hold him off."

"No, he is too strong." Bill protested again.

"I don't have time to argue with you, Bill!" I shouted, when I heard Timmie whimper again as Andre slammed her in the ground. I channeled my light and shot him in his side to get him off Timmie. He looked shocked and surprised before he hissed and came towards me again, but Timmie got up and jumped him.

"BILL!" I shouted, trying to get him to do _anything_ at all to help.

"We need to go. Timmie will hold him off long enough!" He said. Before I knew what had happened, I was in his arms while he ran with vampire speed down the halls. "Let me down, what do you think you are doing?" I shouted and wriggled around to get out of his arms.

"I am protecting you, if you would only see reason!" He said harshly back and held me tighter so I could hardly move.

From all of the stupid things I regretted, feeding Bill my blood to get help was on the top of my list. After much struggling to get out of his hold and a lot of curses I almost never used Bill slowly slowed down to a speed where I could see my surroundings. "Where are we?" I asked. The walls were brick and glistening, the smell of mold and rot was heavy in the air.

"In the Queen's dungeon." Bill answered and put me down. I immediately stepped away from him, backing myself as far away as I could before I was stopped by a wall.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, panicking. Flashes of my dream with Bill luring me outside to Andre were playing in my mind.

"Because of the smell… It will cover our scents so he can't track us so easily." Bill explained. I didn't know if I believed him or not. I definitely didn't trust him, but would he really betray me like he did in my dream? My little dizziness increased by the thought and I had to lean back into the wall for support. I checked my bond with Eric again, only finding the spot in my brain where he used to be still empty.

"And if Andre still is able to track us down here?" I asked. Andre could probably follow our scents until it stopped when the awful dungeon smell started, giving him a mighty hint as to where we was anyway.

"I will protect you with my life, Sookeh." Bill said and came closer.

I surveyed him from afar and snorted inwardly. "You said yourself that even together with Timmie you wouldn't be able to take him out! Sorry to break it to you Bill, but I don't think you have that much time to live…" I said angrily.

"I can hold him off." He said determined.

"Like you did upstairs? I won't even have a chance to get out of the door before he will have you hurt, unconscious, or dead!" I hissed.

Bill seemed to realize my thinking way when I saw his eyes widen a little, together with his determination crumble. "He won't find us." He said eventually, stubborn.

I didn't bother to argue anymore and concentrated on the bond with Eric that I couldn't reach. What was wrong? Eric wasn't dead, I could feel it. But why is the bond so strange? Even when he closed it or was dead for the day, I still could feel him in my mind, but not now. My thoughts drifted off to Pam and then eventually Timmie. God, I hoped she was alright and that Andre wouldn't kill her. If so, I would not only have him on my hit list, but Bill Compton as well.

"Thank you for the blood." Bill said and came closer to me.

I tried to force a smile and hide my uncomfortable state. "You're welcome. I think we should go back and find Eric."

Bill frowned. "You still believe everything he says is true?"

"I know it is Bill." I said defensively.

"His blood is powerful, Sookeh. It is taking over your feelings and manipulating you." He said angrily, like I didn't understand anything.

"And yours didn't?" I spat.

His angry face softened. "I am not denying that my blood did affect you. But mine is not nearly as powerful as Eric's and wasn't suppressing your own feelings." He argued. "What we had was real."

"You are wrong." I said shaking my head. I hadn't loved Bill. I thought I did, but had now realized what love actually was and it wasn't anything like what I had felt for Bill.

"His blood has convinced you. He can control you through the blood bond." He said firmly.

"I don't want to hear anymore Bill. Let me believe what I want and if what I believe is wrong and you are right, I am at least happy." I said and sighed. The sight hitched in my throat however, when I felt a vampire approach with fast speed through the halls towards our location.

"Sookeh, what's wrong?" Bill asked, noticing me tensing.

"Someone's coming." I whispered. A little hope lit inside of me that it was Eric. I checked our bond again to find it unchanged, and knew it couldn't be him.

"Come on." Bill said and to my irritation, lifted me into his arms and hurried further down in the dungeon.

This was a really bad idea. Why Bill found it safer to bring us further down, further away from any possible help, I didn't know. I still had the nightmare of Bill and Andre in the back of my head, and hoped to God and Gran that it wasn't him that was coming and Bill would turn against me. But if he would, he wouldn't have tried to fight off Andre earlier. And I couldn't see him helping Andre after his long punishment.

We came to an end in a large room with cages in different sizes. "What do we do now?" I asked, still feeling the void coming closer.

Bill didn't answer, holding his stare at the hall we entered through. "Bill?" I asked again, starting to feel panicked.

When he still ignored me I changed my focus on the hallway as well, waiting to see who was coming. It didn't surprise me, but I still felt my blood drain from my face when Andre appeared before us.

"Compton, how nice of you to bring my toy down here where no one can help her." His fangy smile made goosebumps all over my skin and the little hair in my neck stand up. I glanced at Bill whose lips was pressed in a tin line in tension.

I tried to think of something to do so we wouldn't need to fight, but knew it was useless. All I could hope for was that someone noticed I was gone and would come looking for me. "I am not your toy, and I am never going to be your toy!" I said angrily.

Andre looked at me and chuckled before he suddenly stood a lot closer without me seeing him move. Bill too, was suddenly closer and I could hear him growling. "You keep telling yourself that, Pet. I love the feisty ones... They are much more fun to break." He snickered.

Bill growling got louder and took Andre's attention away from me. "You was fun too Compton, even though you did break easily, even faster than some of my other _human _toys."

"Leave." Bill growled, making Andre laugh.

"All right, I'll leave." He said and reached out his hand for me. "Come on, Pet, let's go."

"Go to hell." I snapped. Bill was standing in front of me now, trying to protect me.

"I am immortal; I will never see that place." Andre said amused. "Now, come on and I won't hurt you're hero here."

"Shouldn't you be with your Queen and _Maker, _protecting her?" Bill hissed.

"She has her guards. We will not lose this fight, you will." He said to Bill before looking at me again. "If you come now I will let you say goodbye to your Viking before we will give him his true death."

"Eric will kill you!" I hadn't noticed my hands glowing before Andre stared at them until I had to look down and see what he was looking at.

"The Queen's brat insisted that you didn't have any other talents than your mindreading." Andre said before he smiled his ugly smile again. "She definitely needs to be punished for that, obviously."

"Leave my cousin alone, you creep!" I said before panicking again. I hadn't seen or heard Hadley's mind at all since me and Eric came here. I really hoped nothing bad had happened to her but didn't have time to think about it now.

Andre only laughed. "I wonder if you were this rebellious and demanding with your former Master as well?! I can't imagine _Sherriff_ _Northman _putting up with it. Or maybe you just like punishments?" Andre snickered again and licked his lips while letting his eyes roam my body.

I covered myself with my arms, feeling exposed and stepped a small step to the side so Bill would cover me even more. "He is not my _Master, _he is my boyfriend." I said, realizing how stupid it sounded after I had said it. It didn't get better when Andre threw his head back and laughed hard.

Bill took the opportunity and lounged forward onto Andre's now exposed throat. I jumped, not expecting his move against the stronger vampire and neither had Andre. He fell backwards towards the ground with Bill on top of him, but they already started to fight before they even could land. I gasped and looked around for something I could use as a weapon. Nothing but solid rock and the cages were in the room, so I was helpless.

Not knowing what to do, I stood frozen and watched the two of them fight. Andre got a grip around Bills arms, and pulled it harshly. A loud _crack_ sounded through the room when the arm broke and I felt utterly nauseous again. The growling was interrupted by Bill's howl of pain and I cringed. I wanted desperately to help him, but I feared I would hit him instead of Andre.

"I will enjoy breaking every bone in your body before ripping your flesh away until you drain into true death." Andre hissed before Bill somehow managed to get away from him before attacking again. They were a blur around the room and I had to keep track of them with my mind as well as my eyes. Bill was thrown across the room again and crashed into the brick wall, making it crumble.

I reached out and sot my light in Andre's direction, successfully hitting him square in the chest. He too flew backwards and into the wall. I ran to Bill who was trying to get up. I wanted to offer him more blood so he could get his strength back, but I knew as well that I needed it myself to function. Andre got up, and Bill was suddenly gone again, in a blur across the room fighting.

"Sookeh, leave!" I heard Bill shout.

I really wanted to listen to his command for once, but I couldn't leave him alone with Andre so I stayed put. "Bill, stop fighting him!" I shouted instead. Bill was shoved across the room again and into the same wall. "Rest for a while." I said and turned to Andre.

His dark eyes gleamed with amusement. "Are you going to show me more of your tricks, Pet?"

I didn't bother to answer and lifted my hands and aimed at him. He stepped quickly aside, but I hadn't learned nothing from the training I had done with Eric, Pam and Timmie and he got hit with another light ball that I had shot right after the first one.

Like Pam used to, he doubled over before regaining his posture. "Is that all you've got?" He snarled and came towards me.

I almost rolled my eyes from getting the same irritating comments that Eric always gave me. But I wasn't as strong as I used to be. I had lost a lot of blood, together with the still nausea and dizziness; I wasn't in my best form. I summoned more of my anger, thinking of Bill's comments of how I was manipulated (and still was), about the bond between me and Eric seemed to be closed off completely to the extent of him not being in my mind, to everything that had happened in my life. The flashed of lights got stronger, and I shot again towards Andre, and didn't stop when he moved around the room to avoid it.

I was panting hard from exhaustion when I let my hands drop to gather some more light. I didn't have time to summon anymore of it, when Andre took the opportunity to jump me. I fell to the ground and hit my head hard in the stone floor. "You will regret using your power on your new Master." He hissed, but I could hear his voice was raspier. I had hit him good, and he was weaker than before. After managing to follow Eric with my mind at training, Andre wasn't a problem. The problem was keeping my strength up.

I whimpered and tried to push him away when Bill decided to get back in the fight and pulled Andre off of me. I crawled away and sat resting against a few bars on one of the cages. I closed my eyes and focused on my breath while I followed the two voids in my mind alongside with their growls and shouts.

"You will end tonight, Bill Compton! Too bad I didn't have more time to have fun with you!" Andre rasped weakly, but only managed to get Bill to the ground after using some time. "I will have to do with my new Pet then. Maybe she will get some extra punishments for your disloyalty to your Queen!"

Another _crack _sounded and I cringed with the sounds of Bill's screams. I opened my eyes and used the bars to help me stand up, and again gathered my strength. Andre had his fangs deep down in Bill's neck, and I quickly shot a light at him. My fear was confirmed when Andre only got shoved back a few steps after regaining his strength from drinking Bill's blood. I looked with wide eyes at Bill who lay motionless on the ground, his arm and now one leg pointing out in weird angels.

"Just surrender Pet. You can't win this." Andre said and waited for my reply. I reached inside myself, searching desperately for Eric. Why hadn't he showed up yet? What was wrong with our bond? I knew I couldn't hold out for much longer, as the same with Bill. He really had sentenced us both to our deaths by bringing us down in the rotten dungeon.

"Come on. End this now and I promise I will be lenient with _some_ of the punishments that are lined up for you." He smiled and I could see his fangs were colored red by Bills blood.

"You are disgusting." I spat before sending my light in his direction again. I managed to hit him and keep him at a distance from reaching me, but barely so. I was still standing by the cage, and had eventually needed to lean back to get more support. I was exhausted, mentally and physically.

"You are tiring already? I thought you were a strong spirited one." Andre mocked me.

I only stared angrily at him and tried to hold back the tears I felt filling my eyes. I would definitely die here. I couldn't hold him off any longer. Eric hadn't come to save me.

My light got weaker and weaker and Andre barely had to use his own strength for not to get shoved back. He didn't move fast anymore, and slowly walked closer, waiting for my light to vanish so he could reach me fully.

**Eric POV**

"I will find him." I said sharply. Stan nodded in agreement and kept groping the Queen who was heavily restrained.

Andre had somehow vanished from the battle and we wanted him to be there so we could execute them together. The Queen had surprised us and we had underestimated her when more forces came to her Mansion to fight. That was until they revealed themselves as equally big haters of the Queen as I was and joined our side. The takeover had gone quiet easily with their help and we had now restrained the Queen and some of her still loyal guards (who didn't looked to good right now.).

"You will get sentenced to true death, Northman!" The Queen hissed.

I walked closed to her and bent down so I could be at eyelevel before I smirked. "Have you got the impression that we will leave anyone alive that will dare to press charges against me and mine?" I asked amused.

The Queen looked from me to Stan that was still holding her tight. "I think she believes I will rat on you, Sherriff." Stan said equally amused.

I had never liked Stan much, but when we had discussed how to fight and kill the Queen _together, _so _he_ could take over her throne, the sour mood was gone.

"Hm…" I said and smirked again. "Too bad you are not going to see me get away with everything." I said and smiled when she flashed her fangs at me. "Now, I will go and collect your child. We can't have him missing out on the fun!"

She hissed and tried to struggle out of Stan's grasp, but he only chuckled and pressed himself closer on her. The sun would rise in two hours or so, and I needed to find my lover to make sure she was okay. I had felt slightly tremor through the bond I had with Timmie, but I had been occupied battling with four of the Queen's guards and had commanded Clancy and Chow to find her and to check what was going on and report right back to me if something was wrong.

They hadn't showed up again, so I had assumed everything was alright. Now that I hurried upstairs, I got a weird feeling that something was wrong.

"Find Octavia and her children. Glamour the children and get them into safety." I ordered Pam who dissapeared to do my wishes.

I noticed the door to me and Sookie's bedroom when we stayed here was ripped open. The smell of blood hit me before I saw two pools of goo, vampires. I strolled into the room, ready to fight when I saw the tigers lying in a heap on the floor, badly hurt. I knew she was still alive from her not changing back to her human, but I almost didn't hear her pulse.

I rushed over, panicking and gathered her in my arms. She held her eyes closed and I harshly dragged my own fang over my forearm and slipped in into her large mouth, so she would gather everything and swallow it down.

I inhaled deeply, and smelled the repulsing but familiar scent of Andre on her. I hissed and unintentionally tightened my grip on her. I looked for my bond with my lover, but knew it was helpless. I could smell her in the room though, as well as a few others and Compton.

I growled only thinking about him. I made Timmie swallow a few more mouthfuls of my blood before I let her down so she could heal. I needed to find my bonded!

Angry, I stood up and smelled deeply again. I rushed out of the door and followed their scent down many hallways before their scent was gone and the musky smell of rot and mold took over. I growled angry, but mostly because of the fact that I couldn't feel Sookie at all. I didn't know if something had happened to her, or for how long she had been gone with Compton and Andre.

I prayed to God, Odin, Allah, and even Sookie's Gran that she would still be alright when I used my vampire speed to search for her in the Queen's dungeon. As I rushed around the last corned and stood in the end of the hallway leading into the dungeon I was met with Andre's back in the distance. I wonder how the fuck they had ended up down here, but slowly walked further in so he wouldn't notice me.

Compton's blood was heavy in the air, but I had only eyes for the person lying before Andre's feet. My lover was glowing slightly but was unconscious and dead pale, while Andre stood looming over her with a hungry wild stare. My blood was boiling and rage took over my body as I pounced for the Queen's child.


	38. Chapter 38

**Thanks for the reviews! **

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! **

* * *

**Eric POV**

Using all of my vampire speed I had a hand tightly around Andre's neck before he could even flinch. I growled and sank my fangs into his shoulder as hard as I could to make sure it was painful. Andre hissed and tried to struggle out of my grip, but I held him tight. He had tipped me over the edge and would be lucky if I didn't tear him into pieces before we could even get back to the others.

"By hurting my bonded, you just asked for the true death!" I hissed back at him and threw him down into the ground.

Andre tried to get up, but I flipped him around and held both of his hands at his back, forcing him to stay down before I tried to gain control over myself. I had to calm down if I didn't want to do something I would regret later - give him a quick final death with not enough pain.

I looked over to my lover lying on the floor. She had stopped glowing, and wasn't wounded as far as I could see. I could still hear her strong heartbeat, so I knew she was unconscious. Then, I saw my little dilemma. How was I going to get her upstairs along with Andre? I didn't have my phone so I couldn't contact anyone, and Pam was busy with Octavia so I didn't want to summon her. I wanted to give Sookie my blood, but I didn't want to risk affecting her feelings now that our connection was broken and she would be thinking clear (in her opinion). I could knock out Andre, but he was already late for his execution and I didn't want to give him more time. Then there was Compton. He was badly beaten and he was the last person I wanted to give my blood to. But I couldn't deny that he _had_ tried to protect my lover and he could carry her upstairs while I handled Andre.

I growled again, seeing that as my only solution. I dragged Andre with me none to gently, and tore my wrist open and hovered it above Compton's head so my blood would drip into his mouth. I was thanking Odin that the same connection that would happen between a vampire and another creature when giving them our blood didn't happen when vampires gave blood to other vampires (unless it was in the turning point of course). I knew my blood was highly potent with power and it didn't take long before Bill got his _healthy_ color back and his wounds started to close. Loud cracks echoed in the room when the bones in his body was forced into place and started to heal as well.

"Get up." I ordered him, a few moments later. To his credit he did what I ordered, but with confusion written all over his face.

I ignored his questioning look and answered him with another command. "Take Sookie and follow me."

I didn't want him to touch my lover ever again, but he was too pathetic, young and weak to handle Andre. I watched with narrowed eyes as he walked over to my lover. "Sookeh, sweetheart you need to wake up." He whispered, but I could still hear him clearly. "Come on love, I need to carry you. Andre is not going to hurt you."

"Just grab her, Bill" I hissed, angry again by how he seemed to caress her cheek and hair. He gently lifted her into his arms and I had to bite down hard, not to attack him as well. I told Bill to lead the way so I could keep an eye on his hands, while I held on to Andre who was still struggling.

"You will pay for this, Northman!" He squealed under my harsh grip.

"You are not in a position to make threats so I would be careful of what you say, if I were you. We may keep you alive a little longer." I said sternly, following Compton. "And believe me, that is not something you will appreciate."

"Your _Pet _will not like you anymore if she knew how many people you have killed." He snarled. I lifted him up and smashed him into the wall beside us, as my fangs slid into place.

"If I find _one_ scratch on her caused by you, I will dig up Russell Edgington and bury you together with him to rot forever!" I threatened.

"You're the reason he dissapeared." Andre said, paling a little at the realization.

"Eric!" Bill's voice stopped whatever Andre was going to say next. I didn't turn to give him my attention. No one else other than me, Bill, Sookie and Pam knew what had happened to Russell. Now Andre knew, but he wouldn't be able to tell anyone anyway. I smirked, satisfied by that thought.

I pulled back and Andre's face screwed up in anger again. "You will be hunted down when others finds out!" He spat.

I only chuckled before I rammed my hand in his jaw, crushing it and hoped my lover wouldn't wake up with his roar of pain. When he had finished acting like a little girl, I chuckled again. "You are as stupid as Bill Compton if you think I would give you a chance to tell anyone else."

Turning to Bill, I saw his whole body was tense as he glared at me. Roughly taking a grip around Andre's throat and arm again, I pushed him in the direction of Bill. "Let's move on." I ordered and we continued to walk.

..

"Wait here." I ordered Bill when we stood outside the throne room. I entered with Andre and the Queens shriek made everyone quiet down. She was still restrained by Stan but tried to fight again when she saw her child. Everyone looked at us, and I placed my little smirk on again and dragged Andre towards his Maker. "He was hiding in your basement." I said smugly. Andre tried to protest, but whatever he said was not understandable because of his broken jaw.

I shoved the disgusting vampire into the arms of one of Stan's older minions. "Please start the fun without me, but don't kill them before I have returned. I won't be long" I said to Stan.

"Oh, don't hurry. I plan to have a lot of fun with these two for a while." Stan said and started to fondle the Queen again.

I nodded and turned around in the direction of Pam and Timmie. Timmie was in her tiger form, looking a lot better, though I could feel she was still suffering a bit. She had a large empty space around her where she lay relaxing, obviously the others vampires didn't feel safe being near her. I walked over and stared into her eyes. "Come." I ordered and both Pam and Timmie followed me out of the room to where Compton stood nuzzling Sookie's neck. I growled and snatched her away from his arms and said his services were ended and he could go join the others in their fun.

To my delight Sookie snuggled closer to my chest and I held her tight while sniffing for any blood or injuries. The only thing I found was the reek of Compton. "What happened to her?" Pam asked concerned.

I thought about her light glow when I first had found her, but nothing else seemed wrong. "I don't know, but I want you to call Dr. Ludwig just in case. Where is Octavia?"

"She is with her kids in one of the guestrooms. I thought you might wanted to speak with here some more before she dissapeared." Pam said and started to walk in the direction of the foyer and upstairs. There were pools of blood everywhere where vampires had died and I noticed Sookie's daggers on the floor in one of them.

Coming to the guestrooms, I heard which room Octavia was in, and chose another across the hall where my lover could rest. I had one hour left before sunrise so I didn't have a lot of time. One of the deals I had made with Stan and Isabel was that they wouldn't hold the Queen and her child captive. They would kill them tonight (even though I knew Stan would have preferred keeping the Queen a little while longer) as I couldn't risk having them alive. It wasn't something we had used a lot of time discussing though; Stan was eager to claim the crown. I knew he wouldn't be the best King, but rather him than me.

"Call Ludwig and tell her to be here by tomorrow morning." I said to Pam and dismissed her. Timmie jumped on the bed and lay down to rest. It pleased me when she sniffed my lover and growled at the smell of her. "You are right. We need to get rid of it!" I said to her and lifted my lover into my arms again.

It wasn't easy to undress both her and me when I still had to carry her weight (not that she was heavy), but eventually I got both of us under the hot spray of water. It made my lover stir, and she frowned before she opened her eyes. "Eric?"

"Yes lover. You are safe, I have you." I said softly and held her closer.

"Am I dreaming?" She said weakly, still limp in my arms.

"No lover, you are not dreaming." I smiled and collected some soap and started to wash her.

"I can't feel you." She said and lifted her head slightly to look at me.

"I know. I will explain everything when you are feeling better. Now, I just want you to relax and get your strength back." I said, trying to soothe her, together with forcing my erection down and not thinking of how her sexy naked, wet body felt against mine.

She rested her head on my chest and by her breathing; I knew she was unconscious again. I thought about what that weird glow was. It hadn't just been her hands like it used to, but her whole body. Maybe Dr. Ludwig would know and could explain when she arrived. I finished washing her quickly and rolled a blanked around her (I didn't have anything else to dress her in since her own clothes was dirty and bloody alongside with my own) and placed her in the bed under the covers.

"Watch over her." I communicated to Timmie through my glamour and kissed my lover softly before I made my way down to the throne room again.

I was disgusted to find Stan having his way with the Queen, but only because I believed rape in general was wrong. I knew this was his way of showing everyone his claim on the throne and dominance, something that unfortunately wasn't a rare thing in our society. Andre was being tortured by silver from the same vampire I had giving him to.

I located Pam standing with Isabel and stood by their side as we watched the show. "Who do you think we should kill first? The Maker or child?" Isabel asked without any emotions in her voice as she looked at the two of them.

I crossed my arms over my chest. I hadn't felt any type of pain in my entire existence that could hold up against the pain I had felt when Godric had met the sun. If Godric felt any of it, I couldn't know. "Just as both of them meet their final death within half an hour I don't care." I answered her sternly. I didn't want anything more to do with my former Queen and her child. It really was a pity that they both were so greedy and stupid, because they had both potential to be good vampires. All I wanted now was to go up to my lover again and hold her.

Eventually, the vampire holding down Andre carried his almost unrecognizable figure over to his Maker. Stan had finished with her, and forced her to hold a stake as Andre was pushed on it. The Queen's face was red from her bloody tears and her scream when her child crumbled before her in a bloody mess died down a few minutes after when Stan had almost drained her.

When the deeds finally had been done and the Queen was no more, it was only minutes away from sunrise.

"Finally!" Pam huffed and turned to leave.

I followed Isabel to greet the new King of Louisiana.

"Congratulation your Majesty." I smirked. Another deal we had was that I wouldn't need to swear my loyalty to his state, even though I decided to continue to live here and was no longer Sherriff. Pamela had eventually said yes to taking over my role as a sheriff after much discussion. It was risky for a young vampire such as herself to have any power, but I knew that the vampires that were loyal to me would be loyal to Pam. And I wouldn't leave her anyways. I would be around to annoy her.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Northman." Stan nodded. "How long are you staying?"

"I don't know yet. We can discuss it more tomorrow." I said. Stan nodded again and dismissed me, so others could praise him the few minutes it was left of the night. He would certainly be busy with vampires all over Louisiana that would come to give him their loyalty. I didn't understand why he would want all the hassle, but again, rather him than me.

I quickly hurried back to my lover and found Pam in bed with her. I growled lightly, but more of possessiveness than anger. I crawled into the bed between my child and my lover (so I could keep my lover to myself) and held her tight. It annoyed me greatly that I couldn't feel her anymore, even though I still felt the same wholeness.

The takeover hadn't gone completely to plan, but it still hadn't turned out too badly. We were all free from the Queen's craziness that was the most important thing. Pam snuggled closer to my other side and I turned over on my back so I could hold them both. Timmie was resting her large head on Pam's hip and I felt warmth spread through my chest. Having all of my girls this close was something that had never happened. It had even been ages since me and Pam had snuggled together like we did now. I felt her succumb to the sun and didn't hesitate to follow her.

**Sookie POV**

Dread washed over me when my light started to get weaker and weaker by every shot. Andre didn't even try to get me anymore, just waited patiently and came slowly closer until he was only a few feet away, smirking and probably enjoying my attempts to keep him away.

I had called for Eric, both inside of me and out loud a few times, but he never heard me and he never came for me. The outstretched arm I had kept lifted in the direction of Andre throbbed in pain. I felt so defeated and helpless. I never wanted to give up, but I realized I couldn't hold on anymore. When I had started to cry I didn't know, but it seemed like I was drained for tears. I looked at Bill only to still find him unable to help me, and finally dropped my arm in defeat.

I was leaning back on one of the cages in the room and turned my head away from Andre. I didn't need to see the satisfaction on his face in addition to his evil laugh. I squeezed my eyes close when I felt his hand on my head before he pushed it into the bars behind me. I was already dizzy, but now my whole head was spinning, fueling my nausea even more. I was prepared to feel his fangs enter my neck painfully, when a bright light erupted and the hand on my head dissapeared before I heard a _thud_ on the other side of the room.

I opened my eyes and looked at Andre who was lying on the other side of the room. He quickly came to, and stood growling angrily at me. I shrank back when he strode quickly over to me again. This time he was stopped by the odd light before he could even touch me. The confusion in his eyes was probably mirroring my own. I didn't do anything, so why was there a light?

Andre hissed and pushed harder against the light that now looked like a capsule that surrounded me. I felt a slight pressure against me, like the air was pushing me backwards, but nothing more.

"What the fuck are you doing now, you stupid fairy!?" Andre growled and hammered on the barrier. It didn't make any sound or any sign of breaking. When he pulled back, the light faded to my horror. Andre smirked, but as soon as he took a step closer, the light reappeared making him roar out in anger.

I looked down on myself in confusion. To my surprise, the light seemed to erupt from my necklace, Gran's medallion! I closed my eyes and tears streamed down my cheeks again as I tried to gather my strength, taking deep breaths and get rid of the dizziness that I felt. I didn't work though, but it didn't matter; the shield was still up strong and lightening.

I could only try to stand and watch as Andre tried different ways to break through the capsule without luck. After some time I felt the exhaustion from everything that had happened gnawing on my body. But if Andre couldn't get to me, maybe I could get out of here and find Eric. I had to shove myself away from the cage I was leaning on to stand properly, and took a few uncertain steps towards the hallway. But still being dizzy, Andre trying to force himself through the barrier and giving me extra pressure made me fall to the ground. I watched with disgust as he tried to lie down above me, but he only got pushed away with the light again, thankfully.

I ended up lying in a heap on the floor, praying to the amulet and my Gran that the light wouldn't let him in so that Eric could come for me and save me. The ground was dirty, wet and soaked in blood, but I couldn't even care less. I felt my eyes starting to close against my will and eventually blackness took over completely.

…

I didn't know if I was dreaming or not, but I was in the shower with Eric. My limbs were so heavy I almost didn't manage to move at all and I had to eventually succumb to the darkness again.

…

I heard someone talking far away, and couldn't really focus on what they were saying. It was first when I started to feel the probing around on my body when I got my mind to work and I managed to open my eyes. The light was bright and I had to squeeze them tight together again. Thoughts about Andre and Bill, what had happened in the dungeon flashed in my brain and I started to panic. Had Andre gotten through my shield? Where was I?

"Lover?" Eric's voice sounded beside me and I opened one of my eyes to peek at him.

I could see his concerned face close to mine. "Eric?" I breathed out, relieved that it wasn't Andre. I tried to sit up in the bed when I was pushed down by someone else. "Lay still."

I looked to my other said and looked into a familiar face. "Dr. Ludwig?"

"Miss Stackhouse, you can't seem to avoid trouble, can you?" She said and continued to probe my arm and then stomach. I only had a sheet covering me and felt embarrassed when I realized I was naked underneath. "Don't fret; I have seen it all already. The maenad wounds have healed better than I expected by the way." She said and I blushed harder.

A snickering sound by the door made me aware of Pam and Timmie standing there. I was happy to see Timmie was okay, but didn't have time to think about _that _right now. "Don't worry lover, I made them leave when Ludwig needed to look at you." Eric tried to reassure me, but it didn't really help… Ludwig had _looked_ at me!

"I'm fine." I said and tried to pull away from Ludwig and looked at Eric.

"She's right, and perfectly fine." Ludwig said and stopped her probing and sat back to look at Eric after she started to gathered her equipment into her suitcase. "She suffers from a little anemia, but if you manage to keep your fangs away from her she should be fine again in a few days." She said sternly.

Eric glared at her. "Why was she glowing?" He asked.

"She is a fairy." Ludwig said like it would be obvious.

"Her whole body?" Eric said raising his brow.

"It's natural." Ludwig shrugged.

"She has never done it before." Eric narrowed his eyes.

"Sometime has to be the first time." Ludwig said, carelessly.

"Her light didn't work properly three weeks ago." Eric questioned again. It almost seemed like he challenged her and my head got dizzy from looking between them.

"You kept her in the dark." Ludwig snapped making Eric growl.

"Why did it suddenly start working?" Eric asked, still growling.

"Use your mind, Northman." She almost growled back.

"Eric!" I said sharply, not ready for him to attack her, something it looked like he very much was about to do. I got his attention after he had glared a few more seconds at the doctor. "Can I talk to her alone?" I asked.

Eric frowned, but eventually nodded and walked out of the room with Pam and Timmie in tow. I looked at Dr. Ludwig who had sat down in her chair beside my bed again. She obviously knew what I wanted to ask, because she started to answer my questions immediately when the door closed behind Eric.

"You are only part fairy, but like every other fairy you need the sun. You cannot use your power without recharging it in the sun, which is why it didn't work for you. Eric told me you had spent more time outdoors the last three weeks?" She asked.

I wanted to slap myself for not thinking about that before. It seemed so obvious when she said it like that. "Yes."

"So there you have it." She nodded. "There is a nice medallion you have here." She continued and I noticed for the first time I didn't wear Gran's amulet anymore when she grabbed it from the nightstand.

"It protected me from Andre." I whispered.

"It has certainly power to do so." She confirmed. "This is a charm normally used by fairies and has a lot of magic in it. I can sense an old soul possessing it."

"Gran?" I asked shocked.

"I believe so. Keep it on you and she will help you in difficult times." She said and handed it back to me. I had always felt a need to have it on me, and felt naked and empty without it. Gran really had been with me all this time.

"Is that all?" Ludwig asked and watched me place the amulet around my neck.

I thought for something more I could ask and remembered something I had wondered for a long time. "Actually, I wondered if you could explain me a little about what Eric's blood is doing to me. And why I suddenly can't feel him anymore."

"He hasn't had time to tell you yet, but you don't have a bond anymore." She said.

It felt like she was ripping a bandage off with the emotionless way she was telling me. "What? How?"

"He didn't tell me the details, but he said something about a witch and you both bleeding and you throwing up blood as well…" She said and I nodded. "It seemed you were cursed by a powerful witch, which made you both reject the amount of blood you had ingested from each other."

I nodded again, remembering the awful taste of blood in my mouth after I had thrown up, and how Eric had bled from his eyes, ears and mouth as well. "You have no blood left in you that is Eric's, but it is not a problem if you feel the need to ingest it again. In the old days, vampires fed blood to their prey to increase its attraction and curiosity to themselves, making them able to have fun without using their glamour and the pray would still want to be with them." She said sternly.

I suddenly didn't feel so good anymore. Was Eric using his blood to have fun with me?

"These days' vampires rarely give their blood to anyone, unless it is in the process of turning a human, or to bond themselves to them. The bond will bind the human to them for their entire life, but it will also bind the vampire. When a vampire blood bonds him or her to a human, he will give up his advantage and they will become equals in mind and position" Ludwig continued and I felt a little better.

She paused, and I took the opportunity to ask her what I had been dying to know. "Does it affect my feelings?"

"Your feelings are none but your own. Like I said, the blood creates attraction in body and spikes your curiosity, but that is it. Whatever you might feel is totally your own. If it isn't anything more, I need to go. I have other patients waiting…" She said and stood up.

It was so much I wanted answered I couldn't even find the questions. Ludwig seemed to understand my troubles when she handed me a card. "Call me if there is something more." She said and walked quickly out of the room.

Eric reappeared by my side the second she was gone. I wanted to throw my arms around him and never let go, but I held back. He pulled back slightly frowning but covered it quickly with his stone mask. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes." I said and shifted my gaze to Timmie. She came to the bed and I immediately took her into my arm's hugging her while tears filled my eyes. "I was so scared I had lost you." I whispered.

"I'm fine, Sookie. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." She whispered back.

"Don't say that! You were there for me, and you tried your best." I said reassuringly.

"How did you end up in the dungeon?" Pam broke through our little bubble.

Timmie pulled back and I got a glimpse of Eric's hurtful look before he acted normal and I shifted my stare to Pam. "Bill-" I didn't even manage to finish what I had said before both of the vampires started to growl.

"He should have gotten the same fate as the Queen and her child." Pam huffed.

That got my attention. "What happened?"

"They got what they had coming all along; true death." Pam said bored.

"So everything is fine, the plan worked?" I asked, looking between Pam and Eric.

"More or less… We got the desired outcome anyway, so everything is fine." Pam confirmed and I sunk down in the bed finally managing to relax completely.

We were all silent for a while until I had to defend Bill a little. "He thought the smell would hide us in the dungeon, which is why he brought me there."

"He should have brought you to me, Pam or somewhere else where people could help you. Not isolate you and make it easier for Andre." Eric said sharply.

I rolled my eyes. "He didn't believe Andre would find us. And he tried to protect me from him." I protested.

"Cupcake…" Pam sighed. "He knew he could never win a fight against Andre alone so only _that_ should have made him seek more help, and not bring you down to a dead end where he was your only protector." She argued and I could see her point. I even had thought that same thing myself when he had carried me down there.

"Please don't hurt him." I pleaded and now looked at Eric.

"I hadn't planned to." Was the only thing he said, still looking like he was in his Sheriff mode.

"Oh." I looked down in my lap and consciously pulled the sheet further up my body to cover myself from their view. "So what happens now?"

"We will leave when you are ready." Pam said and threw me a bag. "I brought you your clothes from the hotel."

"Thanks." I muttered and waited for them to leave. Eric stayed put, however.

I looked at him nervously. I didn't know what to believe or feel anymore. Everything was so confusing, and I felt too much, overwhelmed!

"Eric…" I started but he cut me off.

"We'll do the talking later. Just get dressed so we can leave as fast as possible." He said quickly.

I frowned, but did what he said. "Why do we need to hurry? I thought Stan and Isabel were okay?"

"They are, but I just don't like this place." Eric said and led the way out of the room, where we came face to face with a middle-aged woman and three kids.

"Sookie, this is Octavia, the trusted witch who cursed us and broke our bond." Eric presented her in a awful way and I felt really bad for her, and awkward.

"Nice to meet you." I said and shook her hand, feeling even more awkward.

"I am really sorry, they threatened my kids!" She said, sounding desperate for me to believe her.

"It's okay." I reassured her, but glanced slightly at Eric who only started back at me. I didn't like the feeling of loneliness I felt without having Eric in my mind. I was still holding his gaze when I slipped my hand into his. The little smile I could see on his lips made my own twitch upwards and I felt safer and fullness washed over me. I never wanted to let go of his hand.

"Let's go." He said and all of us climbed down the stairs to meet Isabel on the bottom.

"Sookie, how are you feeling?" She asked with her accent. The scary pictures of her fighting flashed through my mind, but I managed to smile anyway. "I'm fine, just a little tired."

She nodded her head before she looked to Eric. "Stay in touch." She said and looked to Pam and Timmie before she walked away.

Pam and Timmie walked out the door with Octavia and her kids, but Eric and I walked over to the elevator to get the car. It was tension between us when neither of us said anything when we stood in the elevator or sat in the car on our way back to the hotel.

The hotel was overcrowded for some reason to my very displeasure. All I wanted to do was to go upstairs and be left alone in the silence with my own emotions. I still felt the deep pull towards Eric, and knew that all of the emotions I had blamed his blood for creating in me was my own. But I still felt so confused and overwhelmed by everything, I just had to take a step back and breathe so I could sort everything out.

It was then I spotted Bill through the crowd. I had been holding Eric's hand, but decided that I wanted one of my problems gone, and I could do it now. "Just wait here." I told Eric and moved through the crowd towards Bill.

"Sookeh." He said when he spotted me.

"Can I talk to you, in private?" I asked him.

He looked slightly concerned, but nodded and led the way into the empty storage room. "Sookeh, I am so sorry for-" He started but I held up my hand and stopped him.

"No, don't say anything Bill. I just wanted to tell you that I forgive you. I know you did your best to protect me from Andre, and everything turned out fine, so let's move on and not think about it again. I know what we had was…" I wanted to say real, but I knew my love for Bill hadn't been true love… "What I am trying to say is that I do believe you. I am still hurt that you lied to me about everything with the Queen, but I know that you weren't going to hand me over to her. So I forgive you. Maybe we can one day become friends and forget whatever bad happened. I am tired of being angry with you, and blame you for everything negative in my life."

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself again from the rant, but I had meant every word. Yes, Bill was sent by the Queen to procure me, but he didn't know me at the time. I did believe he had fallen for me like he said, and I knew I couldn't blame him for my own actions anymore. Yes, he had hurt me a few times, but my stubborn self had gotten me into more trouble on my own (even though he had tried to hold me back or protect me…). So I didn't want to be mad at him anymore. I just wanted to move on, and by forgiving him I did just that. I knew my Gran would be proud of me.

"You have no idea of how much that means to me, Sookeh. I am really sorry for everything and I wished I could have met you in another matter. I just hope you will be happy, even if it is together with Northman." He said sincere, a little bitterness entering his voice when he mentioned Eric.

"Thank you Bill." I said and hugged him. I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders when we walked out of the storage room again. Even the air seemed fresher and I felt warmth spread thought me when my eyes landed on Eric.

He stood where I had left him looking thoughtful before he spotted me. The air seemed to vibrate when I walked through the crowd again towards him, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. I tried to keep the smile off my face as I neared him, but couldn't help it. My stomach tightened with the butterfly feelings inside of it, and I felt myself get warmer. I didn't stop when I reached him, but walked straight into his chest and hugged him tight never wanting to let go.

Someone coughing behind me made me loosen my grip to turn around. Eric's arms weren't letting me go however, so I awkwardly managed to turn around in his arms. None other than Pam and Timmie was again the cause of our interrupted moment. None of them looked too bothered, Pam even looked amused. "Shall we go, or do you need more time?" She said and raised her perfect eyebrow.

I wanted to tell her where _she _could go, but I remembered that she was going home to ugly clothes and shoes and to sleeping in the ground so I held my tongue. "You can go home, we will follow soon. I just need to finish up with some things first." Eric answered.

"Will Sookie be staying with you, or can she leave as well?" Pam said, looking amused at Eric.

I felt his chest rumble behind me in a silent growl. "She is staying. If you two don't manage to behave in each other's presence, I will command you both to serve Stan for one full year, are we clear?" He threatened.

I really didn't like the way he was deciding for me to stay, but I let it slide for now. Both Pam and Timmie nodded before they left us standing alone. "So what is it that you need to finish?" I asked as Eric dragged me along to the elevators and up into our room.

I saw how serious he looked and sat down in one of the couches, feeling a little cold when he sat down in the one opposite from me. I sat quiet, waiting for him to say anything while he just seemed to study me. "We are not bonded anymore." He said eventually, cutting right to the case.

I pulled my legs up underneath me and dropped my eyes to my hands that were resting in my lap. "I know, Ludwig explained it to me." I said quietly. "I didn't understand why I couldn't feel you."

I was kind of telling him that I was scared that he was dead, or sounding my concerns by not feeling him. Eric however, sat quietly and stared at me before he finally spoke. "Has it been the blood bond that has made you act like you have these last weeks? Have it tricked you into false emotions?"

I glanced at him, seeing his stone like face before I averted my eyes down in my lap again. "No." I whispered eventually, feeling tears gathering in my eyes. I didn't completely understand why I was crying though. I had been so certain, fighting for so long against the blood, to discover that it was all me. I felt relieved and disappointed at the same time.

I didn't look up, or say anything else and wondered if Eric had heard me at all. He confirmed it by surprising me with his next words. "If you want to leave and start a new life you may do so now."

I looked at him wide-eyed, unable to say anything at all. "The Queen is gone, so if you change your appearance and take another identity you should be fine from other vampires that know of you." Eric continued. "I have some contacts that can help you with a new location if you don't want to decide for yourself. Your house in Sunnew is still yours, though. I am sure Mrs. Figg will let you continue in your job."

The way he said it with no signs of any emotions almost sounded like he wanted me to go. "Do you want me to leave?" I had to ask…

"I think you know what I want, Sookie." Eric said quickly. "What I said is still true. I will get lost without you. You are… my life now. But I won't hold you back if you want to go."

"I don't want to go." I said softly and looked at him before I smiled a little. "What I said is still true as well. I still crave you. The only difference now is that I know it is my own feelings and not the blood. It is still a little scary, and I am overwhelmed by everything… But I want to stay with you. I want you." A fire had enlightened behind Eric as I spoke, and now they were burning. He appeared before me, his face close to mine. "I love you, Eric."

His lips crashed against mine almost before I could finish my declaration of love. His hands gripped around me and pulled me from the couch as I threw my arms around his neck to hold him tight. I felt the tension and worry I had felt disappear and smiled into the kiss along with Eric. I didn't want to pull back, but the need for oxygen eventually forced me.

I looked up into his smiling eyes and didn't let go of my grip around his neck. "You have no idea of how happy you have made me, lover." Eric said and tightened his grip around me. "I love you, Sookie."

The tears I had managed to force back earlier came back with full force. I hid it by claiming his lips again. The kiss couldn't be more passionate and I started to feel the familiar bubbling need inside of me as heat erupted in my chest and traveled throughout my whole body. Eric hands traveled down my body until he got a grip around my bottom and lifted me onto his body, as I hooked my legs around his hips. I pulled back again to gasp for breath while wishing I could have the same abilities as Eric, not needing to breathe. "Make love to me Eric." I breathed. I would kill anyone for disturbing us now. I needed him.

Eric seemed to think the same as me as he crushed his phone in his hand after he had carried me over to the bed and sat me down. My hands reached to his shirt and started unbuttoning it. Eric didn't wasn't time buttoning my own shirt, and buttons flew across the room as he ripped it open. I managed to get his shirt off before he pushed me into the bed and crawled on top of me. His lips were again connected with mine. Opening my mouth to let my tongue meet his, we fell into a battle of dominance.

The rest of our clothes dissapeared by Eric's hands before his mouth travelled down my body. I couldn't hold in my moans when one of his hands slipped between my legs.

**Eric POV**

"Eric, please." Sookie was driving me nuts with her pleas. I knew every inch of her body, but without any connection between us, knowing that _she knew_ she wasn't affected by anything to do this made it all more satisfactory. It was like having her for the first time over again.

I wanted to taste her again. I wanted to make her scream my name by only using my tongue. I wanted to explore her whole body again and again. I wouldn't let anyone distract or interrupt us. I would finally have her like I wanted to, and I wouldn't rush anything.

Kissing my way down her body I settled between her legs. Licking, sucking and stroking her the way I knew would get her to the edge; I paused before she could fall over. "Eric." She said winy.

"Say it again, lover." I commanded. When seconds passed and she didn't say anything I pulled back completely. Her blue eyes stared at me for a while and I sat put, waiting to hear what I wanted.

"I love you." I didn't give her any time to say anything else and kissed her harshly while plunging my fingers into her, affectingly pushing her over the edge. Her words made warm spread through my whole body. She looked so beautiful when she came I had to pause to look at her until she came back down from her high. When she did, I was determined to see that look on her face many times tonight.

"You are so perfect." I murmured into her chin and placed light kisses down her neck to her breasts. My own erection was suffering, but I wanted to taste her again. I wanted to taste her come that was only for me.

"Eric, please. I want you inside of me." She moaned, still panting from her release.

"Patience, my lover." I schooled her.

"I have been…" She started to say something, but got distracted of my fingers between her legs before she managed to continue. "…patient for the last three weeks. Please Eric, no more foreplay."

I couldn't argue with her about that one… I kissed my way up her body to reach her lips again while I positioned myself. Sookie lifted her legs and wrapped them around my body. Her soft blond hair framed her face and made her blue eyes stand out. I could stay this way forever and just look into those eyes. Those eyes I could feel reading my very soul.

My lover was obviously losing her patience when I felt her little hand on my ass as she pushed me towards her. I had to take in a breath so the oxygen could burn my lungs and take the attention away from the feeling of being inside of her so I wouldn't come already. She was more than ready for me, but still tight and I gently pushed further inside until I was finally buried inside of her.

"Oh God." Sookie panted and had her back arched so her breast were pushing against my chest. I dropped my head to her shoulder and felt her spasm around me already. I had waited for so long to be where I was now. I lay completely still to only feel her and let her adjust to me at the same time. Lifting my head, I rested my forehead against hers. She had her eyes closed, but eventually opened them with a smile. "I love you." I said serious.

Her hands traveled up my back and settled around my neck as she pulled me closer to kiss me. While exploring her mouth I pulled out slightly before pushing into her again. Her moan drowned in my groan and my hips started to find a slow rhythm by its own, barley moving out of her before pushing in again.

Remembering my lovers need to breathe, I pulled back from her lips. Her warm slick walls were still cramping slightly around me, and I almost couldn't hold back any longer. Pulling back so I was almost completely out I used a little more force when pushing in again, making my lover moans louder.

"Oh, Eric." My lover panted and settled her legs on the bed so she could meet my slow thrusts.

"Say it again." I commanded harshly and leaned down to nip her ear.

"I love you." She answered with no hesitation. I growled in reply and picked up the speed.

My hands drifted around her body and my mouth settled on her neck. "Who do you love?" I whispered in her ear.

"You, Eric… Please, more!" She moaned and tried to quicken our pace but I held back. "Who do you belong to?" I growled, loving how she shuddered underneath me.

"Eric please." She moaned again and her hands were again on my ass and tried to push me faster inside of her.

"Tell me." I commanded and kissed her special spot behind her ear, not letting her decide the speed of my thrusts.

"You, I belong to you. Please Eric, go harder." She mewled into my shoulder.

The possessiveness and satisfaction of hearing her words made me lose my mind. My slow thrusting quickly became hard and fast. I knew she was close, and gasps of oxygen were the only thing keeping myself from my release. I had no intention of coming before she did. My eyes almost crossed when she threw her head back and offered her neck. The beast I had learned to tame through my existence growled loudly before I let myself sink my fangs into her sweet neck. I knew Dr. Ludwig had advised me from it, but it was our first time, and I would only take a sip.

Her blood was euphoric. My name leaving her lips in a scream of release together with her walls clamping down around me dragged me over the edge with her. Roaring her name, I kept hammering into her through our climaxes until my body couldn't move anymore. Collapsing on top of her heated body, I licked the puncture wounds I had made in her neck before I rolled off her, dragging her along. I had finally claimed her for my own, like I had wanted since I met her. I knew she would be fantastic, but I had never imagined her to feel so good. Perfect, like she was made just for me.

Her ragged breath was the only thing making a noise in the room until she eventually calmed down. "That was…" She started but didn't find any words. I only chuckled and pulled her closer. "If it is so intense every time, you will eventually kill me." She said, sounding exhausted.

I lifter her chin so I could look into her eyes. "We are not done yet, lover." I said, loving how her eyes widened before I attacked her mouth again with my own.

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**I hoped you liked this chapter, I had a really hard time writing it!**

**Just for the record… I am against rape and all kind of violence! **


	39. Chapter 39

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts! Enjoy! **

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**Sookie POV**

Eric had to book the hotel room for two more nights when all of our attempts to leave ended up in another heated round of lovemaking. Of course, Pam and Timmie had called the hotel and interrupted us, but after Eric's description of what would happen if we got disturbed again, the phone calls ended quickly. I hadn't taken any of his blood, even though Eric wanted me too. I wanted it too, but the feeling of being "only me" was keeping me from taking it... For now… Real life had eventually caught up on us though, so we had finally managed to get on the road towards home.

Once we were back in Fangtasia, Pam and Timmie hadn't been discreet about letting me know that they knew what Eric and me had been doing for the last two days. I eventually got used to it and didn't let it bother me anymore, so the girls moved on to prank Eric instead, to his annoyance and our amusement.

I felt like I was walking on clouds. The vampire, who once said he didn't know what love was, loved me. And after everything we had been through, I loved him. Every time I looked at him I felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt heat rising under my skin. When his blue eyes captured mine I was unable to look away until he let me. He was everything I wanted, everything I needed. Everything my heart could hope for. I trusted him completely. I had felt so empty inside for so long, but now everything had changed. Only he could fill my soul.

I was lying in bed, waiting for Eric to wake. Tonight he would take me to Merlotte's so I could meet with Sam. It wasn't a thing I was really looking forward to doing. He had supported me (more or less) and tried to help me. I hadn't talked to him for almost six months now, and I felt so bad. I felt like I had betrayed him. I knew he was probably sick with worry. I just hoped he would forgive me.

"What are you thinking about?" Eric said, almost making me jump out of the bed with fright. Without the bond, I had no way of knowing when he would wake.

"Oh my God, don't do that!" I shrieked, giving him an angry look when he only laughed. "It's not funny; I could have had a heart attack!"

"You are not going to die yet, lover." He said and grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer. I didn't like the way he said "yet", but I figured I would die someday like everyone else. The question was if I would remain dead or be a living dead. Changing the subject quickly, I answered his question. "I was thinking about tonight… I have no idea of how Sam will react."

"He will behave or I'll have his head." Eric said firmly.

"You will stay away like you promised, even though we probably will argue a little." I said and snuggled into his chest. "Sam doesn't like me being with you." I stated the obvious.

"He isn't stupid enough to try anything with you. He know what will happen if he hurts you." Eric said confidence.

"Sam would never hurt me. And by the way, I am really mad about your great idea to let Pam almost eat him alive! He almost died!" I said, pulling back so I could look at him. To his credit, he did look sorry.

"It was not my intention for it to go so far. I wanted to scare him a little, but Pam took advantage of my rage and absence." He explained.

"Don't blame it on Pam; it was still your responsibility. Sam was only trying to help me." I said, annoyed.

"He needed a lesson in respecting his elders." Eric argued.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I knew Eric had his own vampire ways and I didn't want to argue about something we could never agree on.

"Want to tell me about your day?" Eric murmured and placed soft kisses on my shoulder.

"You can smell it already." I smiled. I had been lying under the sun, soaking up the beams, recharging like Ludwig said. I pushed him back so I could lie halfway over him before I placed my lips on his. "Want to shower with me?" I asked after pulling back again.

"Do you really have to ask, lover?" Eric smirked. Before I knew it, he had me in his arms and was on his way into the bathroom. He didn't put me down before he had to, so I could get undressed (with his help of course). Eric didn't even try to hide his excitement which made me both embarrassed and aroused at the same time. He knew every pore on my body, so I wasn't shy being naked in front of him anymore.

Stepping under the hot spray of water, Eric immediately started to wash my body. He was kneading and massaging me so good, I couldn't help but moan. I leaned back into his chest and enjoyed his hands that were paying extra attention to my girls. When one of his hands slid further down my stomach I came back to reality. "Eric, we don't have time for this." I said, but didn't remove his hand that was now working on me.

"We can be quick." He said into my ear. I could practically hear the smirk I knew would be on his face.

"How quick?" I asked challenging him. It wasn't a secret that we forgot all about time when we were at it.

"I can make you scream my name in less than five minutes, lover." Eric now whispered with seducing heavy on his tone into my ear.

I knew it probably wasn't a good idea, but my body overran my mind. "Prove it."

His growling made my excitement flare and I got whipped around so I could face him. His fangs were out and in addition to the lust in his eyes; there were also an evil glint that made me dripping wet with anticipation. His lips crashed into mine in a bruising kiss while his hands grabbed my butt and lifted me up. I crossed my legs automatically around his hips and held onto his neck with my arms before I was pushed into the cold tiles behind me, making me gasp.

The darkness in Eric's eyes was the only thing I managed to focus on until I was invaded by three of his fingers. "So wet and ready for me already, lover." He said huskily, complete with a growl.

I couldn't say anything in reply. I just breathed heavily, waiting for him to take me. He didn't disappoint when he pulled out his fingers and thrusted is cock into me in one go. "Ahh, Eric!" I moaned and threw my head back in ecstasy. Ha grabbed my wrists and held them in place over my head and started to hammer into me hard and fast. I didn't know what to do with myself when every move he made created pure bliss vibrating through my body. It was like I was in a constant climax as he continued to plough into me.

I felt so small, helpless and utterly dominated by the large Viking that was proving himself, taking the challenge I already knew he would be successful in. His slick muscular body was driving me crazy. Denying Eric for so long I would always be my biggest regret.

"Eric!" I breathed, not managing to utter my pleadings like I wanted to. I bucked against him to show my point and was thanking God quite loudly when he got my point and started to ram into me at vampire speed.

True to his word, he didn't push, but threw me over the edge in a powerful orgasm. Eric didn't falter his movements when he roared out in his own release, sounding like a true animal and sending me off in another orgasm. He eventually stilled inside of me and we stood there joined for some time before he started to nuzzle my neck and pull away, letting me down on my own feet again and released my wrists.

I pulled him into a kiss and couldn't help but smile. God, he was perfect. "So, what do I get as a prize?" he said smirking. "I have a few suggestions if you don't want to figure it out yourself."

I rolled my eyes when he pulled my hips towards him so I could already feel his growing erection again. "You're insatiable"

"Only when it comes to you" He gave me a quick kiss. "I can't ever get enough." He said huskily, and I had a hard time pushing him away.

"Eric, we need to get going." I protested. "I promise you will get your prize later tonight." Now it was my turn to smirk. "If you keep your promise to stay away when I talk to Sam, I'll even double it."

Eric narrowed his eyes for a second, before a little smile appeared on his lips. Finishing up with the shower, we said goodbye to Timmie and Pam even though they were both looking worryingly pleased with themselves for whatever reason and got in the car.

I had gotten used to driving towards my former home by now, but it was for the first time I was back at Merlotte's. Sam had closed for the night when Pam had called and told him I wanted to meet him. As Eric pulled into the driveway, I had to take a few deep breaths. Why I was so nervous, I didn't know. I hadn't been this nervous when I met with Jason even. "You'll be fine, lover." Eric said and grabbed my shaking hand. I nodded and paused for a second before I opened the door and stepped out in the warm night.

Sam was standing in the bar, cleaning a few bottles when I walked inside. I felt tears pressing behind my eyes as I watched his familiar figure. "Sookie!" He almost shouted as he looked at me, before he came halfway running over the floor and hugged me.

"God, Sam, I've missed you!" I said, smiling as the tears slid down my cheeks. Hearing his voice again felt so good.

"Are you okay, have they hurt you?" He said, still holding me tightly.

"I am fine." I said, not answering the other part. I wanted to explain everything that had happened in one piece.

Sam pulled back and I started into his eyes while he tried my tears away caringly. "Tell me everything." He asked eventually, and pulled me over to the bar.

"I don't even know where to begin… I'll give you the short version." I smiled slightly. "When I came back from Fairy I was fed up with everything and everyone. My life was good, boring, but good, but everything changed for the worse." I did want to say it changed for the worse when Bill came into my life, but I had forgiven Bill. Bill was no longer the cause of my misery, so I left him out of the story. "One night Eric confronted me and ordered me to be his. I asked for one week in peace and he gave it to me. He wouldn't have done it if he had known I would run away…"

Sam looked angry, but nodded for me to continue.

"I drove to Key West where I met this guy, Shane." I smiled sadly by the memory. "He worked on a military base and offered me his help. He gave me a new ID and tickets for a plane leaving to London. In London I bought a car, rented this beautiful hose in Sunnew and got a job at a library."

This time, Sam smiled as well.

"It was also one of my first days I met John Quinn." I said, getting a chill of mentioning his name.

"The weretiger?" Sam asked, seemingly surprised before he frowned.

I nodded. "I also met Timmie, his cousin and now my best friend. Timmie and I became quick friends and that was how I learned about her mate, Landon. After a few months of Quinn bugging me, Landon came around to _claim _Timmie. I tried to help her and got an idea of going on a vacation, but somehow, Quinn and Landon got invited to the trip. It was then everything happened. We got into a fight, well, really just Timmie and Landon. I tried to help Timmie, but then Quinn was an ass and stopped me…" I took a pause while Sam pulled out some glasses and poured us some drinks.

It all seemed so long ago. "Well, both I and Timmie are alive so you know how the fight ended… Except that it hadn't ended like it did, hadn't it been for Eric."

I looked uncertainly on Sam who was now looking irritated again. "How long did it take before he found you?"

"Around six months." I whispered and looking down in my drink.

"Has he told you _how_ he found you?" Sam asked again.

I frowned. "No." Why hadn't I thought about that before? "I didn't realize he was the one who saved us until a couple of days later. I thought I was dreaming of his appearance… But when he showed up at my door..." Unwilling tears gathered in my eyes again as I remembered everything about how I had felt.

Sam came around the bar and wrapped his arms around me again. "You don't have to continue of you don't want to, Cher. You are here now, I can help you."

I nodded in thanks, but then shook my head. I had to finish my explanation. "I was so broken, but he threatened Timmie, and I had to go to him. For so long, I was dead inside. I couldn't eat, speak, and care about anything at all… He said he was protecting me, but I couldn't see it. I didn't understand how bringing me back here was going to protect me. All I managed to do was sleep or cry."

"I am going to kill him for hurting you." Sam growled.

I pulled back from his arms. I didn't bother to tell him "no", I knew he couldn't kill Eric if he tried. Instead, I continued to explain. "He tried to make me happy again. He tried to give me my house back, but I didn't want it. I don't want it anymore. He offered me to take me out to see you, or Jason. But I refused."

I felt the same dread and hopelessness I had been in seep around me body until I thought about how I had gotten back on my feet again. "Eventually, Pam had had enough. She brought me and Timmie to one of her Spas, shopping and out on town to party. They both helped me get my life back again." I smiled.

"Did you hear about the takeover?" I asked him.

Sam nodded. "By some vampires from Texas" He confirmed.

"Yeah well, we helped. Now she is dead, and I am free." I said quickly.

"Has Eric let you go?" Sam asked surprised again.

"He told me I could leave, but I don't want to. I love him." This was the part I had been nervous about; Sam's reaction to my confession.

He looked at me silent for a few seconds before he frowned. "Cher, are you sure it is not just his blood?"

"I am." I confirmed, but I knew I hadn't convinced him.

"Sookie." Sam sighed. "Think of everything he has done to you, even before you left. He hasn't done anything else other than causing harm."

"You're wrong." I protested, but Sam continued. "And you said it yourself; he had to threaten you to get to you. He kidnapped you and has held you captivated for almost six months!"

"He said he tried to protect me, and even though I didn't understood it at that time, I do now." I said, getting a little annoyed.

"He is not a good being, Cher. He kills people for fun; he almost let his child kill me!" Sam looked really angry now.

"He is when you get to know him, and he doesn't kill for fun... At least not anymore. And besides, he didn't order Pam to kill you, that was all Pam alone." I snapped.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Sam said shocked. "Do you know what you are saying? You are defending a bloodsucking monster, who only wants you for your blood and body."

"He loves me Sam!" I shouted, feeling offended.

That got him to shut up. Staring at me with wide eyes, I could feel his emotions swirl inside of him. Anger, surprise, jealousy, more anger… "Have you ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome?" he asked then.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes I have, and I am not suffering from it. I have gotten to know the true him, beneath all the layers of tough and dangerous vampire. I love him Sam."

"He is glamouring you, or manipulating you through the blood." Sam shook his head.

I glared at him. "You know glamour doesn't work on me. And it is not his blood."

"How can you know that? They are all sneaky _dead_ bastards!" Sam growled.

Now it was mine turn to sigh. "Please trust me, Sam. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"You can't expect me to stand put and watch the vampire manipulate you and keep you as a pet while he at the same time enjoys the other fangbangers." Sam hissed.

"He doesn't do that anymore." I said, hurt. How was I ever going to convince him of the truth? His next words shook me all the way down into my stomach. "Your Gran would be ashamed of you."

My hand flew through the air before I could think, and a _smack _almost echoed through the bar. "Don't you dare, talk about what my Gran would be or would not be. You don't know that! But _I_ know that she would be happy if she knew I had found love and someone who returned my love. And I have." I said angrily and stood, ignoring Sam's hurt look and the red hand mark on his cheek.

"You are wrong, Sookie. You don't know what his blood can do. First Bill and now Eric; I never believed you would be that stupid." He said lowly.

"I know plenty, Doctor Ludwig has told me lots." I argued.

"How do you know she wasn't forced to tell lies?" Sam snapped.

"If I am going to be _that _paranoid, I might as well give up. How do I know you aren't just saying this so you can get me away from him for your own selfish reasons?" I snapped back.

"I would never betray you, Sookie." Sam said, suddenly taken aback.

"Yeah, you just did. Why don't you use your nose and find out for yourself how much of Eric's blood I have in me?" I said, staring him down. I only lingered in a few seconds until I saw his eyes widen a little, before I stormed towards the door. "Thanks for the drink." I said over my shoulder and was out through the door.

**Eric POV**

I watched as my lover walked into Merlotte's. I really hoped she would hurry up with talking to the Shifter so I could bring her back home. I had a surprise for her.

As I listened in on their conversation, I thought of my plan. Every time my lover had been busy with eating, sleeping, or other humans needs, together with entertaining Pam and Timmie I had been sneaking off. I had managed to find three meals that were easy to make and typical for my home country, and I was planning on making her dinner tonight. I had even practiced one time in one of my other safe houses (and commanded Pam to cover for me), and was pleased with the result. I was also going to suggest my plans on getting out of Louisiana for some while.

My attention was drawn back to my lover when I heard the voices fill with anger and irritation. I tensed while listening in on their conversation, ready to go in there if the Shifter got out of line. I didn't have to though, and my lover eventually came out. Was it bad that I was happy about how the talk had ended?

I started up the car when my lover got in and glanced at her. She looked angry. She really looked edible when she was angry. I turned to the road when I felt myself start to react to the sight and smell of her. "Do you want to go somewhere else before home? We can stop by your parents and Gran's grave?" I suggested. Without my vampire senses I wouldn't have seen her little nod. I held an arm around her shoulder as we walked from her house to the graveyard, but stayed a few feet behind when she sat down by her Gran's grave... Odd human thing to do…

She didn't say anything, and was still angry when we finally got home. I didn't try to ask what had happened either. It was pointless when I already knew, and I didn't want to push her. I had second thoughts about my little surprise, but I figured that she needed a little cheer up.

Sanding in the foyer, I gathered her in my arms before she could head off. "I have a surprise for you." I said softly.

Her angry eyes turned to meet mine, but immediately softened. "What is it?" She asked curiously.

"I need to prepare it. Go wait in the library or something and I will get to you when it is ready." I said and gave her a quick kiss before I shoved her gently in the direction down the hall. She looked at me suspiciously, before she continued walking and eventually disappeared. I used my vampire speed to go into the kitchen to find my ingredients and prepare the easy meal.

Staring on the first course, I opened up the little bag and tilted the orange funny-smelling powder into a kettle before boiling it with water. It was actually this that would take the longest time to make, so when I was finished with this, I could get my lover. The orange water had some clogging, but I guessed it was normal. Then I laid the eggs out, since they would only take five minutes to boil.

Satisfied, I looked at my work. It didn't smell any good, but human food usually didn't. I laid the table and found a few candles that would set the mood, before I followed my lovers scent and sound into my office. I narrowed my eyes when not only my lover was there, but my child and Timmie as well. They all looked like deer caught in the headlights when Pamela first noticed my presence, then Timmie and last my lover. I was studying them closely, looking for any sign if what they were up to.

"Are my surprises ready?" My lover suddenly asked.

I started at her for a while before I nodded. Lingering in the door, I gave my child and Timmie a warning look before I followed my lover out of my office.

"So?" Sookie said curious. The anger was suddenly gone. I wondered what they had been doing.

"The kitchen." I said and grabbed her hand and led the way.

My lover was catching flies, as humans said, when she saw my work. It made me puff out my chest a little extra as I pulled out her chair so she could sit. "You cooked?" She asked.

"I have, lover. I know you said you would do the cooking, but I did some research and found three easy meals even I could make, from my homeland" I said proudly.

"Wow." Sookie said and I took her place and filled it with the first course. "For starter; tomato soup with eggs." I said and placed the full plate in front of her.

Her eyes were wide when she looked from the food to me. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I'll wait for later." I said and smirked, loving how she blushed.

Grabbing her spoon, I studied her mouth and throat as she took the first sip. How her little pink lips wrapped around the spoon and how she swallowed. I knew very well what else those lips and swallowing muscles could do…

"…Eric?" My lover pulled me out of my thought. Snapping my eyes up to meet hers, I saw a glint of amusement. "You haven't remover the eggshells from the egg." Sookie said and made her point by cracking her spoon against the egg.

I raised my eyebrows questioningly. Remove the eggshell? I went over the recipe in my head and couldn't remember anything about "eggshells"… My lovers laughed brought my attention back and I only stared at her beautiful face as she laughed…. And laughed… I used the opportunity to start on the main course.

"Having fun, lover?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry." She said between laughs until she managed to calm down. "It is just really funny!"

"I am glad I amuse you." I smirked. I watched as she continued to shove the clogging's in the soup around and laugh for herself. "Want to skip to the second course?" I asked her.

"Yeah." She said and stood us and brought her plate to the sink. I looked down in the boiling water where my main course would be finished. "What is it?" My lover came to stand beside me and peeking into the kettle. "Sausages?" She asked, looking at me.

"Hot dogs." I confirmed, and smiled when my lover giggled.

"You are amazing." She smiled.

"I know." I said, smirking before I retrieved the ketchup and mustard from the fridge. I was about to add it in the water with the sausages and a hand on my wrist stopped me.

"What are you doing?" My lover asked me, wide eyes with amusements.

"From where I am from they use ketchup and mustard on hot dogs." I explained and was about to add it when her bursting out of laughter stopped me again.

"What?" I asked, not understanding her _humanness_.

It looked like she was about to say something, but she only continues laughing. I watched as she clutched her stomach and sunk down to the floor. Was she feeling ill? I was starting to get a little confused when her actions seemed off, but she was still laughing.

"Sookie." I growled, not knowing if I should be amused or worried.

"I.. I'm…" She only continued to laugh. "Oh God, you…"

I crossed my arms over my chest, watching her lie on the ground. "Eric!" She gasped out my name before breathing in a huge breath of air before she stared off again. I was beginning to get a little irritated when she couldn't even explain what was so funny. I waited for a little while more for her to calm down, but each time she just started again. Raising my own eyebrow, I pounced on top of her. The sudden weight and closeness made her finally shut up.

"Will you tell me what it is that is so funny, lover?" I asked her, but placed my lips on hers when she was about to start to laugh again.

I invaded her mouth with her tongue, and with a little help from my hands roaming around her body, I managed to get her attention elsewhere. Her legs wrapped around my hips as she started to respond. I pulled back smirking, loving how I could affect her. "Finished laughing?" I asked, knowing I was risking setting her off again. To my relief, she only smiled before pulling me into another kiss.

I deepened the kiss and grinded myself slightly into her. Pulling back to let her breathe, I watched her flushed face.

"Shall we skip the rest of the meal, or do you have more food for me?" Sookie giggled.

"Ice-cream for dessert." I said and kissed her neck.

"I know something else I want for desert." She said sensually. I growled before pulling her with me up from the floor and flew us into the library, through the roof and up in our bedroom. She hadn't gotten much to eat, but I couldn't care less at the moment. I would order something later.

I sat her gently down on her own feet, and immediately started to undress her. She surprised me by slapping my hands away before she started to undress me instead. Her eyes were glowing like when a newborn's first tasted blood. Her little smile made it looked like she knew a secret. Or that she was up to no good. I guessed both of the last two was a possibility.

I tried to grab for her, but every time she only shoved my hands away again. I followed her every move with my eyes. Her soft little hands. Her pulse, breathing and heart pace quickened as her blue eyes swept over my more and more exposed body.

**Sookie POV**

I loved the power rush I felt every time Eric moaned, hissed or cursed under his breath because of the pleasure _I _was bringing him. His sweet gesture of making me food melted my insides completely. The fact that he had messed up the easiest things to make and didn't understand any of it, made it all more charming... And very, _very_ funny. But he got brownie points for trying though!

But now I had him under my full control on the bed. Locking my eyes with him, I swallowed him down as far as I could. I had gotten a lot of practice lately, and from Eric's reaction I was pretty damn good. I swallowed, knowing it would drive my Viking over the edge and moaned satisfied with the taste of him as I forced him even further down my throat, making him roar out even more curses.

Kissing my way up his body, giving his neck a little extra attention (I had discovered he found it very exciting, especially if I used a little teeth) before I pulled back and hovered above him. I was happy to know that it wasn't only me that needed some time to get back on earth after an orgasm. I couldn't help but smile. Eric lips twitched upwards before he lifted his hand to pull my head down for a kiss.

I was flipped over to my back with the Viking settled between my legs. His mouth dominated mine before it gave my neck and breast some attention too. I was almost over the edge when Eric pulled his fingers away and entered me slowly. I would never get used to his size and came only from the feel of him. I looked up in his eyes and could see the love he had for me. There was no rushing it, and we made love in a slow passion filled pace.

I was lost in time and didn't know if it had been fore minutes of four hours when we lay spent in the bed. I turned my back to Eric and hugged his hand close to my chest as he spooned me.

"Eric?" I said, and smiled when he only made a tired sound in reply. "How did you _really _find me?"

Eric was quiet for a while before he answered. "Pam called Mrs. Figg after I told her I recognized your scent the first time I were there to visit Timmie."

"When was that?" I asked curious. "Why did you leave if you recognized my smell?"

"Two weeks or so after you left. I recognized it before sunrise, but when I rose the next night I only smelled fresh paint." He said and paused before he continued. "And since I _knew_ you would be leaving for Romania, I figured it was my imagination." He growled.

I giggled. "So you bought my little trick?"

I was flipped over to my back again by the angry Viking. "You thought you were very clever, huh?"

"Is that a yes? Because in that case, I was pretty clever." I smiled, ignoring his glare before he pushed me over to the side so he could cuddle up to my back again. He didn't answer, but I felt his chest vibrating in a low growl behind me, making my smile even wider.

We lay in silence for a minute more before I interrupted the peace again. "If Sam tries to reach me, I don't want you to stop him. I know he will be apologizing to me eventually." Or so I hoped.

"Fine, I'll tell Pam as well." Eric said.

"You don't need to, I told her when you prepared my surprise." I said trying not to think of Eric's cooking skills so I wouldn't start laughing again. Pam and Timmie had asked me for some help with their new prank on Eric. After they told me the classical, but brilliant plan, I just had to do it. When Eric's phone was going to start ringing, I didn't know.

But I was sure the calls would start soon enough after sunrise. A flawless, but still cheap corvette, owned by _the _Eric Northman, would be very popular on the marked.

"Lover?" Eric said, nuzzling my neck.

"Yes lover?" I answered, imitating his voice when I said "lover".

"What do you say about getting out of Louisiana?" He asked.

I hadn't expected that, and turned around in his arms. "What do you mean? Moving?"

"Not moving. More like a long vacation." He said serious, and dragged his fingers over my forehead before pushing some hair behind my ear.

I thought of it for a second. "Will Timmie and Pam come too?"

"I said vacation, lover." Eric smirked.

I rolled my eyes, but smiled as well. "Where do you want to go?"

"Everywhere." He said and kissed me softly.

The thought of traveling around the word, only me and Eric, didn't sound so bad. It actually sounded pretty good. I would get to see the world, and spend time with Eric doing so. "When do we leave?" I asked excited.

"I need to make sure everything's go smoothly with Pamela's takeover of the Area before we leave. So two or three days?" He said, shrugging.

"Okay." I said excited, already thinking about places I wanted to go.

* * *

**Hope you like'd it :-)**


	40. Chapter 40

**Warning: Contains lemons ;)**

**Beta'd by Lady Doughnuts. **

**Sookie POV**

* * *

"Oh no, Eric!" I said in despair.

"Come on lover, it's just a little snow." Eric smirked.

"This is not _just a little_! How on earth are we going to get to the cabin?" I whined.

"I will fly us, don't worry." Eric grabbed my hand and kissed it before letting go, so he could concentrate on keeping the car on the slippery road.

I groaned, thinking that I should have listened to Tora and demand to travel another place. We had been in Norway for one week now. I had met one of Eric's friends, and I didn't know if I liked or hated the way she was – completely like Pam. But, she turned out to be okay, and it was fun to hear about all of the stupid stories from the time they had spent together with Godric. I was glad they avoided any subjects mentioning being intimate with each other, something I knew they probably had been.

Leaving Timmie and Pam had been a little sad, but I knew they would be okay. And the last prank had made Eric hit the roof, so they were only glad to see us leave anyway. They were both going to stay in Louisiana…. Pam running Area 5 and Timmie just hanging around like she used to do... That, until me and Eric was going to travel to London and Sunnew to my house where they would join us for one week.

I had been in such a good mood. Sam had called and apologized and had even thrown a party for me at Merlotte's before I left again. That I was very grateful of, to see Lafayette, Terry, Arlene, Holly, Tara… All of the usual people. Jason was a little more critical of my long vacation, but I convinced him that I wouldn't be gone forever, and that I would take a lot of pictures he could see when I came home again. Like he would sit down long enough to see them.

Hadley had been heartbroken to learn about the Queen's (and to my disgust, Andre's) death. In fact, she was mad at me and made me feel all more guilty and sad for her. But there was nothing I could do to help her. I had offered her to stay with me, but she had refused. I only hoped that she would get over her broken state and get a fresh start, free from vampire blood and manipulation. Maybe find a human man to get a family with, maybe even kids.

…

I must have fallen asleep, because I was woken up by someone whispering my name. I fluttered my eyes open and stared right into my Viking's eyes.

"You need to wake up, lover. We're here." He said smoothly. "Put on your jacket so you won't freeze to death when we fly."

I yawned, but did what he said before I reluctantly opened the car door, ready to leave the warmth of the car. Not even Eric's arm around me managed to comfort me. All I could see was white snow and high mountaintops. I couldn't deny that it was beautiful, but did it have to be so fucking cold?!

"Where are we again?" I asked and buried my face in Eric's neck.

"It is called the Hall of Vikings. When I was a human, we used to come here once in a while to hide our treasures in the large cave in the mountain. Godric and I found some of my belongings a few centuries ago, but since then the Hall was discovered and everything was moved to a museum in Bergen." Eric explained and started too lower himself from the sky, towards a lonely stone cabin. There was already coming smoke out of the chimney and a little area had been shuffled free of snow in front of the entrance door.

Eric fished out a key from his pocket and opened the door for me. "Welcome, my lover to "the Stone Hut". Godric and I built it, and is under the same protection spell as our home."

I smiled and took the step inside, looking around. It was warm inside, something I was _very _grateful of. Slipping out of my winter shoes and jacket, I walked further into the living room with Eric trailing hot on my heels. "Wow, this is great." I said, looking at the cozy room, with an already burning fireplace, candles, rugs and fur blankets all over. How Eric had managed to get everything in order before our arrival I had no idea.

"It was a place we used to come to relax. I haven't been here for a couple of centuries. Tora uses it sometimes, though." Eric said and sat down in one of the chair in front of the fireplace.

"Hmm." I said, walking over and dropped myself into his lap. His arms were around me immediately, and I leaned into his chest, resting my head on his shoulder. We sat in silence, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, only listening to the cracks from the fireplace. "Thanks for bringing me out here." I said, breaking the silence, but held a low voice so the peace wouldn't be ruined. "It is nice to be by ourselves for once. Just don't make me go outside."

Eric chuckled. "We'll see about that, lover. But you are very welcome."

I sighed. If I only kept him distracted, he may forget all about the outside. There was something else that had bothered me for a while now. "Eric?" I said softly.

"Yes, lover?" He replied, and I pulled back from his chest so I could look at him properly.

"I miss the bond." I confessed, looking at his face for any reaction.

His eyes widened and he started at me. He actually looked hopeful when he spoke again. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

I looked down at the buttons of his shirt. I didn't like _asking _for him to bond with me, for him to _give _me his blood. He had told me many times how the blood was sacred and it didn't feel right for me asking him about it. But I knew as well that he wanted the bond, possibly more than me. "I want to feel you again." I decided to say. "I miss the feeling of your presence in my head. I miss feeling what you feel... And to know when you wake up or when you appear right behind me and plan to scare the life out of me."

Eric growled and pulled me close into a kiss. I felt the smile on his lips, and pulled back again. "Do you want to make a new bond with me, Eric?" I asked, innocently.

He raised his hand and dragged his fingers through my hair. "Would you give me the honor, Sookie?"

I almost forgot that he was a vampire until his fangs slowly dissented from his gums. I studied his "new look" with his fangs down. I was embarrassed to feel myself get a little turned on, but smiled to him. "I want to be yours." I confirmed.

His lips on mine got much more passionate as he practically made love to my mouth. "Then I will be yours as well." He murmured against my lips.

There was no question about where this was going. I was the impatient one and started unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the perfect chest underneath. I had to pause though, when he ripped of my sweater. I glared at him for a second, just to point out that I didn't like his hobby of ripping my clothes off my body, but got busy with his shirt again. The feeling of him underneath me distracted me so much I didn't even register how he got me out of my lace bra. He stood from the chair with me still straddling his hips, and settled us down on one of the fur rugs on the floor in front of the fireplace.

I lifted my hips from the floor so he could easily pull my pants off. He didn't waste his time, instead shredding my panties away and connected his mouth with my lower lips. "Eric." I gasped, arching my back almost painfully. I was certain it couldn't be healthy, feeling as good as Eric made me feel. He knew perfectly well what to do to get me to the edge, and just when to stop before I fell off over.

"Eric, please stop teasing." I begged breathlessly, looking down my body to catch his smirk. I kept my eyes locked with him, knowing he usually let me fall when he could see me come. I was shortly after singing his name out in pleasure, as he drew out my orgasm as long as possible. I was staring dreamily at the ceiling, smiling a little when I felt him kissing his way up my body. I flinched every time he kissed my ticklish spots, but didn't have the strength to do anything else.

His face hovered above mine before he leaned down to kiss me. I could taste myself on his lips. I sighed, ignoring the smug self-satisfied look he wore. My limbs started working again, and I lifted my arms and let my hands wander over his hard muscular back. I ran them down his back until I reached his pants. I nudged them, but didn't have room or strength to get them any were. "Eric." I whined again, when he continued to look at me amused and smug.

He only chuckled, making me a little irritated. I pushed at his chest, and with his consent managed to flip us over. I sat straddled above him, slowly grinding myself down on him as my hands ran across his chest. I leaned down and kissed his chest and slowly crawled further down his body. He lifted his hips and I slid down his pants. I continued to kiss him all over, giving the area just around where I knew he most wanted me the most of my attention.

"Sookie." He growled inpatient, making me smile. I could play his little game too. I brushed my tongue against his erection, making sure he would feel my hot breath on him before I retracted myself to his stomach. I was about to go down and tease him a little more when I felt a hand on the back of my head, and was dragged up his body. I was met with two sharp fangs and an impatient Viking. "Stop teasing me, lover." He growled again.

I narrowed my eyes. "You do it to me all the time." I argued, but was shut up by his lips claiming mine. He sat up so I was again straddling his hips, his erection pressed between us. I loved feeling his skin against mine, and pulled back from his lips to rest my head on his shoulder. I tightened my grip on him and relaxed again when his hands wander down my back to settle underneath me. I tightened my legs around him and helped lift myself upwards so he could position himself at my entrance. I locked eyes with him as I slowly pushed down. His fangs were fully extended and his groan matched my moan. With my eyes rolling back in my head, I gently rocked my hips back and forth. Eric latched onto my chest, sucking my nipples into his mouth, scraping his fangs deliciously against them.

"Eric" I moaned, and started to rock my hips a little harder on him. He groaned and it wasn't long before I was flipped over to my back, and he started to thrust harder into me, making me gasp every time. The glow from the fireplace made Eric look beautiful and almost human (except for for his fangs.) My heavily breathing, his growling and skin slapping on skin were the only sounds in the cabin.

"Harder. Eric…." I pleaded, scraping my nails on his back so hard I was sure I would draw blood. He complied and kissed me hard on the lips, almost making me pass out from the lack of oxygen before he moved his lips down my neck.

One of his arms hooked under my leg and pulled it upwards so he could get even deeper into me. "Tell me." Eric groaned and slowed his pace, pulling almost completely out of me before he pushed slowly inside again.

"I love you." I breathed and tried to get him to move faster by meeting his thrusts. My walls were already fluttering around him and I needed desperately the release. I didn't want to wait anymore. I needed it, I needed him. I lifted my head and did something that I knew would surprise Eric. I bit him. I bit as hard as I could until I could taste his blood in my mouth.

Eric jerked his hips into me, roaring my name before I felt his fangs sink into the juncture of my own neck. Something inside of me exploded. The pleasure almost hurt and the mouthful of Eric's blood was the only think keeping me from screaming my lungs out. I kept sucking on his neck until the wound I had made healed itself. Eric stopped moving inside of me and I closed my eyes, feeling him licking my neck before he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. I lay still, trying to calm my breathing before I opened my eyes to meet Eric's blue ones.

He leaned in and kissed me before he pulled out of me completely and laid himself beside me. I already missed the feeling of him, feeling empty inside. "I love you Sookie." He murmured and kissed my temple. I smiled, but turned my back to him and faced the fireplace as he spooned me from behind. "I can feel you again." I whispered. It wasn't the same connection that we had, but I could feel the little buzz in the back of my brain I only knew were _him. _

"Eric?" I asked, after a little while in silence.

"Yes, lover?" He replied immediately.

"Why were you so angry at me when you bonded me to you the first time?" I asked, a little tensely.

"I was angry because you did everything I told you to do. You wasn't being your feisty self as I came to love." He replied after a while. "I am sorry if I hurt you. I hadn't plan for us to be bonded in that way." He said, sounding sad. "I lost control." He added when I didn't say anything.

I remembered how angry he had been, and how scared I probably would have been if my brain had functioned normally. "It's okay. I am just glad that we can make it better this time."

"Me too, lover." Eric said, and squeezed me closer to him as we stared into the fireplace.

**Eric POV**

"Ah, for fuck's sake." I growled, making my lover giggle underneath me. I had been two seconds from entering my personal heaven, when Timmie and Pam managed to interrupt again.

Sookie and I had left Tora and Norway two weeks ago, traveling around before we settled down in Sunnew. I had showed her places I had been as a human, and told her stories from my past. To my enjoyment, she had seemed interested the whole time, wanting to know more, or travel other places I had more memories buried. Taking her back to Sunnew, was emotionally hard for both of us. After a few days we had managed to replace all of the bad memories with new ones though. Our only mistake was when I called Pam and told her to take a vacation, and to bring Timmie too, and join us for a week.

Deciding to take the bonding process slowly, we still hadn't made the second exchange. Now that we finally decided to do it, the "kids" as I now called them got in the way. Why me and Sookie thought it was even a good idea to make the second exchange with them around I had no idea of. Of course they would get in the way.

Using my vampire speed, I rushed into the other bedroom I heard Pam and Timmie argue. "What?" I growled, irritated.

Pam raised her eyebrow at my nudity, but it was Timmie who spoke. "She is trying to take over my room."

I rolled my eyes and looked at my child. "What, she is a tiger; she is used to sleeping on the floor. It is only reasonable that I should be getting the bed." She argued.

"And you should be used to sleeping in the ground by now." I snarled. "This house isn't even light tight. We are staying at the library." I said to Pam who rolled her eyes and strolled out of the room. I could hear her muttering something about 'relaxing, softer bed' under her breath as she walked down the hall.

I looked back to Timmie who came over to my and hugged me. "I have missed you, Eric. You have no idea of how terrible she can be."

I kissed the top of her head, not bothering to tell her that the ass-kissing she was doing wouldn't work. "I have lived with Pam for a little while longer than you. I think I know exactly how she can be." I said amused.

"Right." Timmie said and pulled out of my embrace. "Oh, oops... Sorry for interrupting." She said apologizing and looked around me to see if Sookie was there as well.

"Don't worry. We are getting used to it." I said, but gave her a warming stare she picked up immediately about not to interrupt us again.

I found my lover still in bed, but now dressed in her PJ's. The mood was already ruined, so I dressed myself and we headed down in the living room and put on a movie and were soon joined by Pam and Timmie. After the movie, I dragged my lover to her bedroom to make out before Pam and I had to go to the library for the day. We slept in Timmie's basement.

The following night, we found Timmie and Sookie waiting for us. My lover told me about how she had met up with Barry and how they all had gone shopping, without Timmie even complaining.

She was wearing one of her small summer dresses that made my fangs itch, and I started to think of ways I could get her alone without giving Timmie and Pam a chance to interrupt us. I could never get enough of her, of her taste. The more I had her, the more I wanted it again. I was certain she must have me under a spell of some sorts.

"What?" She snapped me out of my thoughts by waving her hands in front of my eyes.

"Hmm?" I smirked, knowing that she could perfectly well _feel, _where my thoughts had wandered.

The blush crept up her face, but her eyes filled with the same lust that was probably in my own. Turning to Pam, I came up with a plan. "Get Timmie and Mrs. Figg home and we meet you there. Start preparing the food" Yeah, it wasn't a fabulous sneaky plan, but it would work. My lover was going to make us dinner (well, not me and Pam) and I hoped Pam wouldn't actually start making it. But I needed my lover, almost to the point of desperate.

Pam rolled her eyes at me. "Make it quick." She said before following my orders. My lover looked at me amused, but didn't say anything.

I wished I could have ripped her clothes off right here, but I knew my lover would want a little more privacy. "Come on." I said eagerly, but froze when I was stopped.

"Wait." Sookie said, suddenly with her evil little grin on her face. "Close your eyes." She said sensually, and I started at her questionably before I did as she said. I could hear her clothes ruffle before she asked me to bend down. Doing as she said, she tied something around my head so as to ensure that I couldn't see. I growled lowly, thinking of what a sight she would be if I could only look at her.

Pulling back, she started to walk around my still frozen frame. "I want you to count to one hundred." She whispered into my ear, making me shiver. Fuck, I am not supposed to shiver. "Don't cheat and listen to where I go before you are finished." She added and started to pull away.

I knew exactly where she was by using my hearing, but I wasn't going to ruin my challenge. I focused on listening to something else and started counting. I loved how playful my lover could be. Chasing her would be fun, but I would never again underestimate her.

Finished counting, I opened up my sensed to Sookie again and took a deep breath, catching her scent. I smirked and started walking in direction of her scent before I came to a sudden halt. The smell of a bookcase was much closer than my lover's scent. Reaching my hand forward, I felt satisfied that I had stopped right before crashing into said bookcase. The library was large and all of the bookcases would be a problem. But I was confident that I would find her. Treading more carefully this time, I followed her scent again.

A little while later I stopped again. Her scent was stronger at this spot, but I knew she wasn't here or I would have heard her heartbeat and breathing. Bending down, my fingers came in touch with something soft again. Her little summer dress.

I groaned. This meant she was around here _somewhere_ just in her underwear. With new motivation and a painfully hard on, I walked a little faster. I had a good idea of my location in the library, knowing I had only walked deeper into the section with old and never used books.

Finding her bra a couple of minutes later, I was sure my dick would have a zipper print on it. That little minx knew how to tease me. It wasn't until I found her minimal panties soaked in her lust that I lost my little control and crashed into a bookcase. I growled angry and impatiently. I wanted her now!

I knew I was closing in on her when her breathing and heartbeat got harder to ignore. I stopped in my tracks and turned my head to the left, the aisles made a straight way back to the middle of the library was with the couches, where we first had started everything. Her heat started to beat faster. I knew she could see me. I made a little show, slowly stalking against her and shredding off my own clothes as well, while listening in to her now heavier breathing. I pounced only a few meters away from her. Her soft skin under my fingers made electric sparks fly into my body. "Lover." I growled, finally able to see her when she pulled off the garment around my head I now knew was her cardigan.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement and lust. "You found me. I think it is time for you to claim your prize." She said, still with the sensual voice.

I smirked at her. She knew me all too well, and just what would set me off. Kissing her hard and passionately, I drifted one hand down to feel if she was ready for me. Satisfied, I didn't dwell and plunged into her. I almost came from the feeling of her alone.

I loved looking at her arching her back. Every time she did, she threw her head back making her neck totally bare and tempting for me to sink my fangs into it. There was no way I was going to go easy on her after her little game. Pulling out, I shoved myself in again forcefully, loving the way she gasped for breath and clung herself to me.

Lifting her hips upwards so I could get a better and deeper angle, I started pumping into her. The fact that she was letting me fuck her in a public place alone was turning me harder inside of her. Not to mention how she both could be a perfect sweet lover and then switch and demand a fast, hard fucking.

Stealing her first orgasm from her body I gritted my teeth and continued to plough through it, not even giving her time to relax. She looked like a goddess when she came. I needed to see it again. Feeling my beast clawing at my insides, I started pulling orgasms from her like I was on a mission. Something that wasn't so far from the truth…

Flipping her over and dragging her with me, I bent her over the couch before I entered her again, working her hard. She would surly have bruises later on, but right now neither of us cared. Her loud moaning, gasping and cursing had turned into screams of pleasure. Having gotten her off more times than I could count on my fingers, she was starting to get hoarse.

"Eric!" She rasped breathlessly. "Cant. Take. It. Any. More!" She said pleadingly between my thrusts. I slowed down my pace and leaned over her, connecting my chest to her back as I fisted her hair and pulled her head upwards. Going slow on her, I licked from her neck and up to her ear. "I can never get enough of you." I whispered, hoarse myself from my own roaring and growling.

She moaned and started to meet my slow thrust by pushing herself backwards, onto me. Groaning, my eyes rolled to the back of my head in pleasure. She couldn't take it anymore, but still she spurred me on and wanted me to take her harder. I complied and pulled back to get the firm grip around her hips again.

I knew I wouldn't manage to hold back much more. I needed to come. I needed my lover to come with me. Lifting one of her legs up and bent it so it was close to her chest, I got a new angle again. Getting deeper into her than before, I snapped my hips into her ass using my vampire speed.

The familiar tightening in my lover abdomen together with Sookie's walls fluttering around me gave me the cue. Leaning over her again, I sneaked one arm across her chest so I could press her tighter against me. She was panting my name along with her God's as I licked the juncture of her neck, finding the perfect spot my fangs could attack.

"Mine." I hissed, before I decided to let us fall over the edge and bit down. Her rich, sweet blood exploded in my mouth together with my cock inside of her. She was clamping down on me so hard I almost found it difficult to continue my pumping in and out of her together with drinking her in.

I was embarrassed that I had to squeeze my eyes shut from the soaring pleasure, my occupied mouth the only reason the walls of the library didn't shake from my roar. If this wasn't heaven…

I was on my way down when my lover took be my surprise again. Bending her head, she latched her own mouth on my arm I still had around her to hold her tight, and bit.

I was yanked back onto the edge, only to be pushed over one more time. This time I did roar until the walls shook. My lover was clamping down on me so hard I was sure she tried to mutilate me.

I honestly didn't know if it was her or me that was shaking when we both got down from euphoria. I only knew I would never want to pull away from her. Eventually I had to, and I flipped her around in my arms and lay us down on the couch. She looked up at me, breathing like she had just ran a marathon. Pulling her close, I kissed her forehead. We didn't say anything, we didn't have to. She rested her head on my chest. It didn't take long before she was sound asleep. I smirked, knowing I had exhausted her. Pam was going to stake me for taking so long. I didn't care though. My soon to be bonded (and pledged if I had my way) needed some rest.

"You are my light and savior. I love you." I murmured into her hair before I joined her, going into downtime. She wasn't the only one that needed to recharge.

**Sookie POV**

It was months since our time in the library, but it had burned into my mind. Only looking at Eric and feeling him getting closer was driving me nuts. I was utterly and hopelessly in love. He had been so perfect, all the time. He had showed me places I could never dream of visiting on my own. He had been himself, letting go of the tough mask that made his stone face mode.

We had been around the world and were now at the last place we were going to stay before heading back to Louisiana. I missed Timmie and Pam, but Eric got regular updates from both of them, that made me reconsider and was happy that I was far away.

I was sitting at the beach, right outside of Eric's little house, watching the sun drown in the ocean. He had insisted that we would get a private excluded place for our last stay, before we would go back to the chaos of Louisiana. That resulted in a private island, owned by one of Eric's "friends" that was so kind loaning it to us for a week.

I felt a little sad as I watched the sunset. How perfect it could have been if I could share it with the man, vampire, which I loved. I knew that was never going to be a possibility though. Feeling the little bond buzz in the back of my mind, made my sadness fade abruptly. I smiled, happy that I could feel him again. Standing up and brushing the sand off of my clothes, I ventured into the house and the light thigh bedroom. I hadn't even closed the door behind me yet when I felt his hands on me. I stood still, enjoying his touch as he smelled the sun on me.

"Mm, you smell good enough to eat, my soon to be bonded." Eric said lowly into my neck, making me shiver. He had stopped calling me "lover" and switched over to "Soon to be bonded." Much more bothersome for his part, but I still found it amusing every time. Especially when I answered like that, and our conversations contained more of "soon to be bonded" than actual content.

"You can _eat _me later. Let's finish our movie first." I winked at him, and dragged the growling vampire out of the bedroom and into the living room. We had started watching a movie last night, until Eric managed to distract me. Long story short, we ended up, not too surprisingly, between the sheets. Eric took his usual spot in the middle of the broad couch, making room for me to sit between his legs. I got some strawberries from the refrigerator before I settled in, leaning back against his chest.

The movie we were watching slowly ended and I rested my head backwards on Eric's shoulder. "I want to make the bond permanent." I said, turning my head and looked right into his eyes. We had been drinking from each other now and then (often in the heat of passion) but refrained from sealing the deal. Now, I wanted it. I wanted it all. Why wait?

"Are you sure? You won't ever get rid of me." Eric said, nuzzling my cheek and already knowing the answer.

"You wouldn't be able to leave me, even if you tried." I smiled, accepting his soft kiss. Bending his legs, his arms enveloped me and lifted me upwards before putting me down, now straddling his legs still with my back against his chest. His wrist appeared in front of me and I grabbed it, pulling it to my mouth. I pressed my lips against it, licking and kissing it as Eric gently pulled my hair over one of my shoulders, giving the same attention to my neck.

I knew he was waiting for me to go first and I couldn't help but tease him a little. I bit down, but not hard enough to break his perfect cool skin. He didn't make any sounds, but I could feel his chest vibrating in a silent growl behind me. Underneath me, something else was waking up as well. I rocked gently back and forth, still nibbling on his wrist when a hand underneath my dress ripped my panties away.

Heat flooded my system when Eric's skilled fingers started to probe me. I let go of his wrist and was thankful that he held it still close to my mouth. Biting down a little harder into his flesh, I leaned my head back on his shoulder again, bringing his arm. With both on my hands free, I massaged his legs before lifting a little of his lap so my hands could get access. Unbuttoning his pants I was thanking God that he went commando, pulling him out of his pants. Sucking on his wrist, I gently stroked him with my hand, mimicking his hands that were still working me.

We had been as close as possible in the other two exchanges, and I didn't want to end the tradition. Eric was playing with my nub as I positioned him on my entrance and sunk down, moaning as I did so.

"Sookie." Eric groaned, nibbling his fangs on my neck. It made goosebumps erupt on my skin and the little hairs in the back of my neck stand up to attention. I moved slowly, feeling every glorious inch of him. I lifted my hands up to his wrist again and started to suck harder. Eric was rubbing me deliciously, and it didn't take long before I felt my walls flutter and the tingling feeling exploded through me as I came.

"Eric." I gasped, squeezing his arm until bit down, hard enough to draw blood. Hearing his groan and feeling him pulsing in me, I waited for his fangs to sink down. It never came. When his wound closed again, I pulled it away and looked at him questionably.

"Patience, my very soon to be bonded." Eric smirked and stood from the couch, lifting me with him still buried inside of me.

"We are wearing too many clothes." He murmured and laid me softly down on the bed before he pulled out of me and ripped off my dress.

I glared at him, earning the wickedly excited grin in return. He disappeared in front of my eyes and stood suddenly naked beside the bed, smirking. My mouth watered by the sight of him and I was sure I was drooling a little bit. Scrambling up on all fours, I crawled over to him. Keeping the eye contact I knew he liked, I slowly took the tip of him into my mouth. He tasted like both of us and I wanted more. Sucking him deeper into my mouth, I hummed around him, using all of the tricks I had discovered would break him.

I had him where I wanted him. He stood hunched over me, his forehead resting on my lower back as one of his hands massaged my breast while the other was swirling inside of me. My head was bent in a hurtful position to make it work and I knew I needed to end it. I pulled away and took a deep breath before taking him in again. This time I scraped my teeth along his shaft as I took him further in, bypassing the point of which I really had to gag and swallowed him down.

It was something I had practiced, and was satisfied that it worked every time. I felt his swell a little before his cold cum made its way down my throat. I jerked in surprise when I felt his fangs sink down in my side, throwing me unexpectedly over the edge alongside with him.

Finally releasing him I was able to catch my breath again. "You are dangerously good, my very soon to be bonded." Eric said hoarsely into my ear and nudged me down on my back. He crawled up my body, licking me clean between my legs to my pleasure, before he continued further up. Sucking in a nipple between his fangs, he pinched the other with between his fingers.

I sighed, wondering how on earth I was going to survive his ministrations. It didn't take long before I was all work up again, and for Eric to slip into me. He started at a slow pace, but I nudged him on.

I wished this would never end. I felt so close to him in every way. He flipped us over and I was again on the top. "Drink me lover. Become mine for eternity." He said, staring into my eyes. It didn't sound like an order and I felt I could still back away. But the thought didn't cross my mind. I wanted to be his, and I wanted him to be mine.

Flipping my hair to one shoulder, I leaned in and bit him in his shoulder. His hands grabbed my hips to help me continue ride him and his fangs sunk into the side of my throat.

In addition to my own pleasure, I could now feel Eric's as well, only fueling everything much more. I gasped by the feel of him, not realizing how much I had missed the presence of the bond until now. I knew everything he felt, like he could with me. I felt utterly content, complete, and whole. I felt safe and protected. I felt like nothing could come between us.

Down from our heights, I flopped down beside him. He turned to me, and I was sure I was wearing the same goofy grin as he did. He looked so perfect, so human. I knew he would play his part when we got back into civilization, but I felt oddly satisfied that it was only me that would see his true side… Along with Pam and Timmie…

"I love you, Eric." I said. I wouldn't ever tire of saying it, and I would never say it enough.

"I love you, my bonded." He smiled.

**The End.**

* * *

**I can't believe it is over! What am I supposed to do now?!**

**Thank you everyone who stuck with me the whole way. Especially thanks to those of you who reviewed, I wouldn't have managed to write much without your support! **

**I am glad everyone seemed to like my one-shot that became a 40 chapter long story. It was fun to see how everyone was on Team Sookie in the beginning, before switching to Team Eric and then back again. But now they can live happily ever after! **

**For those who are interested, In addition to a few one-shots I already have a new story swirling in my head. It will be an Eric/Oc story. The idea basically is: What if it wasn't Long Shadow who stole Eric's money, but someone else entirely? **


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